Overwatch - The Hunt
by Lianou
Summary: After the Swiss Headquarters incident, Dr. Angela Ziegler wanders around the world helping those affected by conflicts while trying to overcome her own burdens, not expecting to see the man that broke her heart in past, Genji Shimada, who returns determined to fix his decisions that tore them apart from one another, unaware of the dark fate reserved for them. (Artwork by hage)
1. Prologue - A New Beginning

**"It's funny how we always think there's gonna be more time... That we will always have another talk, another laugh... another kiss... Those memories of you and me are the ones that remind me how precious our time together was. This is everything that I have from you now, memories of a different time. We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out, taking everything with it... taking you away from me." - Dr. Angela Ziegler.**

* * *

 **(Overwatch - The Hunt)**

 **(Act 1 - Hope)**

She was used with that sound... Gunshots, violence's symphony, played over and over in the dead of night. Will violence always be the solution? She asked that question so many times... It never got older, and that night was no different.

Well, fortunately, that wasn't entirely true.

"So, that's it?" A little boy asks, frustrated by the end of the story.

"What? It's a beautiful ending!" Angela persists, keeping her elegant tone.

There she was, among the kids that, thankfully, she was able to save from the horrors of war. The hospital became their hideout, and it would stay that way until the sunrise. And there she remains, like a guardian angel, doing everything she could to create a fictional scenario without any of those terrible noises outside, hoping that all the kids could have a good time regardless of what was happening.

The darkness was absolute, but none of them were scared. They stopped to hear her angelic voice and her stories as an ex-Overwatch agent, awakening their imagination and filling their hearts with excitement to hear more about her as Mercy and her old colleagues.

As Angela notices that their eyes were entirely focused at her, she brings a beautiful grin to her lips, delighted to be achieving her goal to keep them distracted. There was no such thing for her to see so much cute innocent faces surrounding her, just waiting to know more about the Overwatch team. Just like in the old days.

"Is it true that they call you an angel, Dr. Ziegler?" One of the girls asks politely.

"My dear, you can call me Angela." She grins in response. "And yes, but I'm not an angel."

"Of course you are! You are always so kind with everyone, helping anyone that needs you! That's what an angel does, right?!"

"Aww... so cute...! But I'm just doing my job, doing what it needs to be done. It's my duty."

"The whole Overwatch is like you?" A boy interferes.

"Like me...?"

"Yeah, heroes! The ones that take down the villains!"

"Oh! Well... I'm not exactly a hero. I'm just a medic. They are the ones who save the world and take down the bad guys. I'm just a support."

"That's not true! You are awesome just like them!"

"That's right!" The girl adds, captivating Angela with her kindness within in every word. "Without you, Overwatch would be nothing. Everyone needs a medic, after all."

"Well, that part is true." She lets out a quick giggle. "I'm just not used to receiving part of the credit, but that's okay. In the end, keeping my team safe is all that matters to me, even if they keep screaming: I need healing! I need healing! All the time."

The hilarious situation flashed through the kids minds, unleashing immediately countless laughs around her, overcoming, for a brief second, the terror outside.

It was no surprise that she had to deal with plenty of questions about old Overwatch agents.

After all, who could forget such heroes?

Reinhardt, Torbjörn, Tracer, Winston, and many others.

What a pleasure it was to meet them all.

Talking about her ex-colleagues brought so much memories from the past, and she made sure to share.

None of the young kids chose to take easy on her. There were always another question, another curiosity, another story to be told. So much memories... All those years working in Overwatch's Swiss Headquarters, all those days on her own lab among such an amazing group, fighting to make the world a better place.

Oh, how she missed those days.

Everything was so... perfect.

But what Angela learned since the beginning is that nothing lasts forever.

Sadly, it was just a matter of time before everything collapsed into ruins. Years of dedication, sacrifices, and efforts suddenly became nothing but ashes when Overwatch finally met it's end.

Maybe, it was for the best.

But she could not allow those unfortunate events to consume her, she didn't want the kids to hear the darkest parts of the story.

However, destiny always finds a way to make her remember what she was fighting to forget. A memory, a name that brought the pain, the sadness, and the scars from the past, always crushing her heart.

"What about that cyborg?" The boy asks. "Man... he is so cool!"

"Genji..." She whispers his name, staring at his letter hidden among the rest of her medical equipment just beside her, like always.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes... I do."

It was hard for her to pronounce his name without feeling a shiver in her skin followed by the immediate explicit sadness within her voice.

Genji Shimada, considered by many the best among the Blackwatch team. The man that she took care of since the moment she found him in the brink of death.

The man that she once fell in love with. The same that, years later, broke her heart into pieces.

A wound that would never heal, no matter how hard she tried.

"Angela!" One of the boys, who was quiet during most of the stories, decides to finally break the silence. "Can you please tell us more about him?"

"Genji?" She asks, not exactly comfortable with the question, but she does her best to maintain her posture. "Well... it's a long story... Actually... I saved him."

"I said it! You are a hero!" The girl happily interrupts.

Angela takes advantage of the pause to take a deep breath, keeping her ease to proceed and face the ghosts of her past one more time

"...I took care of him." She continues. "As the time passed, he became one of us. A new member to our family, like Winston used to say."

"How did he become the cool cyborg ninja he is today?"

That question brought the saddest chapter of their story together, one that she considered to be the source of her nightmares.

Genji's cyberization process, when Angela, alongside a small group of scientists, turned Genji into a living weapon against the Shimada Clan.

Ziegler never forgot that day. It kept punishing her, over and over again. She could still hear him screaming and writhing in pain on that bed, barely handling the intense surgery that gave him a whole new body, enhancing his strengths, reflexes, and all his natural skills learned from the years of training within the Shimada Clan. Some said that he was no longer human, only a machine driven by one only objective: destroy his own clan.

It was there when Angela's life began to collapse.

"Kids, I don't want to talk about this." A fragile whisper escapes her.

How painful it was to face all those memories...

It hurt, so much.

"So, ah..." Confused by Angela's sudden change of tone, the young girl decided to change the subject. "You two were... close?" But the curiosity spoke louder in the end.

"Is it true?" The boy persists. "You two were a couple?"

"What? No!" Angela immediately replies, blushing in embarrassment.

The kids laughed at her reaction, so loud that all the violence outside was no longer a thing. Angela was about to end that, but she just couldn't ignore how they were having fun with the whole situation. She didn't want to ruin the moment, so she decided to finally tell them the story of Genji Shimada, trying to focus only on the months before he joined Blackwatch, the months that she met the man that taught her the meaning of love.

"Genji and I..."

"What is this?" Distracted, she could not notice that one of the boys grabbed the letter from her equipment.

"Hey! Wait!" Angela tries to take it away from his hand, but the kids were passing it on to each other, just until reaching the young girl's hands.

"Let's see what this is about..."

* * *

 _ **"Dear Dr. Ziegler,**_

 _ **It has been a while since our last meeting, but I had to find a way to contact you. There are some things that I need you to know.**_

 _ **I didn't have the chance to apologize for what happened that day in Gibraltar, about what I did to you. I don't know what happened to me. All the time, in every second, I regret what happened that day. I wish I could change that, erase it from our past, but I can't.**_

 _ **I don't blame you for what I've become. I don't blame you for anything. You are the reason why I'm still breathing, you are the reason why I'm still able to keep going. You were, you are, and will forever be, my savior, my guardian angel.**_

 _ **I know it's crazy, but I miss those days where I was barely walking, with you always by my side, never giving up, always making me forget my pain, forget my suffering, forget my conflicts. It was all you, Angela.**_

 _ **You helped me, you saved me.**_

 _ **You made me whole.**_

 _ **That night when you came to check how I was. I'll never forget what you said to me. I'll never forget any of the moments we had together.**_

 _ **The truth is that I wish I could see you again, I wish I could look at your eyes one last time to say how much I love you, of how much you changed my life and how happy I was by your side. All those days with you, even when I was stuck on that bed recovering from my wounds, were the best for me, because of you, Angela.**_

 _ **I love you, Dr. Ziegler.**_

 _ **I just hope that, someday, I'll see you again.**_

 _ **\- Genji Shimada."**_

* * *

"You two are a beautiful couple."

"What?" Angela argues immediately. "We are not a couple, we are just..." There is a pause as the words present in that letter were still fresh on her mind.

She read it so many times since the day she received it... and still, it was always like the first time. The same deep impact when she reaches the quote: _**I love you, Dr. Ziegler.**_

Somehow, even after everything that happened between them, she didn't feel any grudge against him. She didn't want to.

It was an odd feeling that she could not describe precisely, but it made her feel something every time she thought about those words.

Emptiness... a painful feeling of loneliness, that something was missing from her life.

Those moments he mentioned...

Their kisses, their hugs, their laughs, their nights together.

It felt so magical to experience such emotions with him on moments that she kept alive within her memories, the only thing that she still had from him besides the letter. Memories of a different time.

 _ **"That night when you came to check how I was. I'll never forget what you said to me."**_

"That night..."

* * *

 **(Many years ago...)**

"Alright, this should do." Angela says while covering Lena's shoulder with a bandage. "Just try to stay with the team next time, alright?"

"Oh, come on." Lena replies, tired of hearing the same advice countless times. "You too? First Jack, then Winston, now you too?"

"Doctor's orders." She smiles at her, but keeps a serious tone about the subject. "Don't risk your life like that again, Lena."

"Everything was under control! You know that." She argues, getting up from the bed.

"I didn't finish it!"

"Don't worry, love! I'm fine! It's just a small scratch, nothing to worry about. But thank you for your time."

"But..."

"And look at you... You are tired, Dr. Ziegler. When was the last time you had a good night of sleep?"

The exact answer was not an easy thing for Angela to remember. Three or four was her best guess.

The only sure she had was that Lena was right, and it was not difficult to know why.

Angela could barely fully open her eyes due to the lack of sleep, reaching a point that she couldn't even think anything straight anymore. She was used to some nights without sleeping, but that was way beyond her limit, and she knew that.

"I'm fine, Lena. I just... had too much work on the last couple of weeks, that's all." As she concludes, she remembers her next task, the last of the day. "Well, I gotta go."

"Is that what I think it is?" Knowing who was waiting for Angela, Lena couldn't hide a short laugh.

"What?"

"Are you going to see him?" She crosses her arms, waiting for the answer, holding her giggles.

"Why are you..."

"You know, since you brought him here, you have been acting a little strange. What's the matter? Can't say a simple hi anymore?"

"Lena, that's none of your business."

"Woah, looks like someone is in a bad mood today."

Shocked by her own words, Angela closes her eyes in shame.

"Sorry..." She says without the morale to stare at Lena after that.

"Don't worry about it." Lena didn't feel nothing from that harsh response, it only made more clear that Angela was clearly in the need of some deserved rest. "Maybe you could speak with him. Everyone needs a short chat once in a while. Remember when I was just a cadet? It was thanks to you and Winston that I quickly felt like part of the family. You could do the same with him, since he's always so isolated. Besides, he seems to like you... and you definitely has some... feelings for him too."

"I'm his doctor, Lena. Nothing more."

"Looks like you are way more than that, love! And you are terrible in hiding it! You spent almost six months taking care of him... Come on, Dr. Ziegler! Maybe meeting someone special is not a bad idea."

"I..." She was ready to resist, but her strength to fight Lena's words were gone. "Alright... Be careful out there, Lena."

"I know! And Angela! Just... don't wait too long, okay? I heard Genji will be on a mission soon. Commander Reyes said he's ready."

"Blackwatch..." She grumbles. "The Shimada Clan..."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Lena... It's nothing."

It was evident that there was much more to that, and Lena definitely noticed Angela's shift of tones regarding the Blackwatch team.

"That's all for now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask, Lena."

"Sure, Dr. Ziegler. Just remember what I told you, okay? See you around!"

Another patient discharged.

One more to go.

After so much effort to hide the tiredness slowly taking over her body, Angela finally on the hallway leading to Genji's private room.

"Just a few seconds." She whispers as she faces the door, opening it right after.

In her first step, she immediately sees him lying in his bed with a white blanket covering his body.

The room was dark, like he was sleeping for a while. Such a fact made her turn around, determined to let him rest.

But then...

"Doctor Ziegler?" He asks after hearing her footsteps.

"You are awake..." She enters his room again, closing the door behind her.

"It's so nice to see you again." He smiles at her while trying to get up, only to be brutally punished by his wounds.

"Wait! Take it easy." She holds his arm in a fast, yet delicate touch, slowing leaning his body back to the bed.

Their eyes met with Angela's approach, leaving both her and Genji blushing.

"So, ah..." She tries to recover her focus.

"How are you?" They both ask at the same time.

It was enough to make them to share a quick laugh, easing the uncomfortable atmosphere that was once between them.

"Ladies first."

"Oh, what a gentleman." She jokes back. "I'm fine, Genji. Thanks for asking."

"Are you sure? You don't seem well."

"I'm just a little..." A sudden yawn for a brief second. "...tired."

"You should rest a little, Dr. Ziegler. You look..." He was ready to say the word "terrible", but he refused to use it. It didn't suit her. It never would.

"I look..." She repeats, waiting for the conclusion.

"Oh, ah... You... You look..." He stares at her eyes, shocked by such beauty, losing control of his thoughts. "You look... beautiful- I mean, good! You look..." He gives up, shutting his mouth.

Amused, yet uncomfortable, Angela forces a shy laugh.

"What about you, Genji?" She decides to go back to her work, checking his forehead examining his body temperature. "Anything to report?"

"No, not at all." He replies, feeling her cold hand pressing against his forehead. "Thanks to you, Dr. Ziegler."

"You can call me Angela, Genji."

"Oh, right!"

"You seem well, but be aware for any signs of..." She yawns again.

"I got it." He holds her hand. "You should rest, Angela. Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"No, I can... I can keep... up..."

Suddenly, Angela starts falling. But, in a quick movement, Genji holds her, saving her from falling on the floor.

"Angela?!"

"I'm okay..." She tries to remain still, but falls on Genji's warm hug. Refusing it at first, but slowly, accepting it, and finally, enjoying it.

She feels his arms wrapped around her back while she rests her head on his shoulder.

Angela would not bothered to stay like that for a minute or two. The heat of his chest brought so much comfort to her soul, just like his company.

"Want me to call someone?"

"No... just give me a few seconds..." She replies as she closes her eyes.

Just like Angela, Genji decides to embrace that moment with her, hearing her breathing and her arms slowly embracing him too.

"Angela..." He takes some seconds to create the courage he needed to reply such a gesture. But it finally came, it just made everything so more enjoyable for both him and her. His finger caressing her golden hair, carefully and gently.

Angela, feeling his kind touch all the way to her neck, gets more relaxed than never, not wanting that moment to end soon. None of them wanted.

"Thank you, Genji..." She whispers, letting him know how grateful she was for all those minutes with him.

"It's the least I can do." He answers softly. "You saved me, remember? They say you are just a doctor, but you are much more than that, Angela. You're a miracle worker." He gazes at her eyes, holding her hand at his cheek. "You are always so kind, so gentle... You are an angel."

"Genji..." With her heart skipping a beat, she stares him back.

With no words to describe her feelings for him, Angela goes for his lips, kissing it slowly as she holds his neck, bringing him closer, hearing his heart go crazy, just like hers.

At first, Genji struggled to find himself in that moment, lost as Angela gently drives his heart insane. He grabs her waist, holding her closely as she never pulls away, allowing him to guide her body towards his, hearing each other's fight to breathe.

"Thank you, Genji." She whispers.

"For what?"

"For this moment of peace and quiet."

* * *

"Just friends, right?" The girl asks while all the kids laughed at her, again. "But... what happened? He wrote about something bad that happened between you and him. What was that?"

"Can we skip this part?" She suggests, refusing to remember it, trying to keep in her mind only those wonderful years she had with him.

A pointless effort.

"But what would you say to him? You know, if he was right here... what would you say to him?"

"I don't know..." Dominated by her emotions, she saw his face, right in the middle of the kids, also waiting for her response. Right at that moment, Angela forgot about the world around her, focusing only on her illusion of him staring right into her eyes.

It was like no one was there. Only him, and him alone.

"But, if he was here, I would say... I'm sorry for what I did to you. This is why I didn't answer the Recall, because it was always a torture to look of what I turned you into to. If weren't for me, you would never have joined Blackwatch, and then, you would never..." She tried to keep an eye contact, but she couldn't, not with the guilty punishing her like a knife cutting through her heart.

So much happened after that night... So much sadness and suffering that he brought to both of them...

How painful it was the choices he made.

How sad it was the choices he didn't make.

Could she forgive him? She asked herself that question countless times, but she never had her answer.

What she didn't know, however, was that she was about to find out...

"Wait. Did you say... recall?!" The boy interferes. "So this means Overwatch will be coming back?! Awesome!"

"But without you?" The girl asked staring right at Angela's eyes. "You said you didn't answer the recall. Why?!"

"It's... complicated... Overwatch was shut down for a reason. Maybe it's best it stay that way."

"No, it's not!" The girl angrily disagrees. "You can't ignore what is happening! Look outside! People need Overwatch! The world needs heroes! We need you, Mercy! Please!"

"Kids, I..."

"And Overwatch needs you!"


	2. A1: Chapter 1 - The World Today

**"When I was young, I lived a life of recklessness. In my selfishness, I inflicted pain and hurt those I cared for. I have learned the many lessons in my struggles with doubt... and fear." - Genji Shimada.**

* * *

"Always remember, Genji..." Zenyatta whispers. "...a warrior's greatest weapon is patience."

Kneeled on the grass and blindfolded by his own scarf, Genji waits, doing his best to control his breathing as he hears the cold wind blowing through the trees around him, ready for the upcoming orbs.

Without warning, Zenyatta projects one of his energy orbs at him.

Too slow. Too easy for him to grab his blade and deflect it back to its owner.

"Good." Zenyatta praises him while dodging the orb that got lost into the bushes. "Free your mind."

Just like Genji predicted, Zenyatta tried a different tactic for the second round, launching two of his orbs at once.

Pointless and predictable.

The outcome was the same as before, with Genji deflecting them all without any sort of trouble.

"Very well..."

Then, there's the silence. Ha, he remembers that too. His mentor waiting for the best opportunity to strike him. This time, aiming for his back.

 _"Six more to go..."_

He heard it coming, all of them, piercing through the air behind him.

One at a time, they came.

One at a time, they fell.

Again, Genji had the upper hand before his master.

Again, a perfect balance between strength, precision, and agility.

But it was not over. Not yet. Not as Zenyatta wanted him to believe.

"I counted five, master." Genji reveals that he was aware of the one remaining orb that his mentor would use to surprise him. Most precisely, try to.

"You learned well, dear student."

With no point in firing the last one, Zenyatta saves it, as he already knew that it would only add more to Genji's victory.

"You always tried this technique, and you were always successful." Then, Genji releases his eyes from the darkness, allowing the sunlight to warm his skin before hiding his face with his visor. "Not anymore."

Zenyatta lets out a snort in response, probably ashamed for his defeat, but not disappointed. Quite the contrary.

"It's so good to see you well, Genji." He says as he kneels close to him, facing one his brightest pupils. "So, my dear friend... How was your journey? Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, master... I found my brother, Hanzo."

Genji pronounced that name as if it was a curse.

Never, since the battle that left him on the brink of death, he thought that he would still call him a _brother_.

No one could've predicted such a thing.

Neither Hanzo.

And for some time,

Neither Genji.

For years, he was blind by what happened, blind by his anger against the betrayal that would later be the source of his suffering. The dreams of their next confrontation, the day that Genji waited for so long, but with other plans in mind... revenge... and he was so close to have it... It would only took a move, quick and precise.

But he couldn't.

Not anymore.

Not again.

Not as his past continues to haunt him.

It was his choice to forgive his brother that showed, to Genji himself, how far he had progressed as a man.

"He knows the truth now... Or perhaps I am a fool to think that there is still hope for him."

"Just because someone stumbles and loses their way it doesn't mean they're lost forever. Don't give up on your brother, Genji. He can still find his peace, just like you did."

"I hope you are right. But... what about you, master? Still wandering around the world?"

"Precisely."

"Even after what happened in King's Row?"

Mondatta's assassination...

A powerful figure representing the peace between humans and omnics was now gone. And with him, the hope of many of his followers who believed that, one day, humans and omnics would live in harmony.

"I'm sorry, master... But I believe that you should go back to the monastery. You'll be safe there."

"Safe... Genji?"

"The world is no longer safe for us. After Mondatta's death, the conflicts between humans and omnics are getting out of control. You cannot risk-"

"Genji, why don't you join me for a walk?"

"A... walk?!"

"Yes. There's a small town nearby."

"What?! Did you hear a word that I just said?!"

"Let's go see for ourselves then. And make sure to leave the hood. It will not be necessary, not today."

"Master, these people don't-"

"Have faith, my friend."

At first, Genji refused to take such an unnecessary risk, knowing that walking among humans after the recent events was a terrible idea. Worse than that, it was almost suicidal. Even in a small isolated town could be a threat.

Despite being most of the times treated as such, Genji never felt like the omnics. However, in just a few minutes after arriving in the town, he immediately receives the same looks of fear, hatred, and disgust, with people avoiding to walk near him and Zenyatta, watching them as inferiors or dangerous animals.

"Freak." A civilian whispers in Genji's ear, aggressively bumping into his shoulder.

Genji's first reaction was to answer on the same coin, but he knew that there was a reason behind Zenyatta's walk. Another one of his lessons, one that Genji couldn't understand.

"Why are we doing this, master?" He asks as he stays side by side with Zenyatta, who remains still despite the insult against his student.

"Listen and watch the world around you, Genji."

"Scum." Another civilian insults them, walking away in the same second.

With everyone looking at him and all those revolting insults, Genji's rage starts to take over his mind, ready to fight back somehow.

He heard it before.

He hears it now.

It always had the same impact.

Always.

"Forget your anger, Genji." Zenyatta reminds him. "Remember who you are today."

Genji holds his thirst for violence against those people, doing everything he could to follow his master's teachings as he continues to face how the world truly saw him, enduring the same humiliation that most of the omnics were suffering in many countries.

"PLEASE!" He hears a young boy screaming in an alley nearby. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

In an immediate glance he saw the reason for the kid's despair.

An omnic cornered by a small group of thugs, three in total. They laughed as he begged for his life, a scream reinforced by their kicks and punches. In the middle, there was the boy, unable to do anything about it, crying rivers of tears.

"Don't." Zenyatta says, stopping Genji from grabbing his blade. "I know you can handle this without causing a bloodshed."

Then, Genji, with his blood boiling in anger, walks towards the gang.

"Close your eyes." He says, passing by the child, going straight to those... monsters.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here." One of the thugs notices Genji's approach. "Hey, guys! We got a hero over here!"

Firstly, they received Genji with nothing more than a couple of chuckles and empty threats, thinking that he would retreat.

They were wrong.

"Let him go." Genji warns, his tone becoming sharper after every word.

"Or what?!" The thug replies as he tries to hit Genji's face, only to be surprised by his speed in dodging the strike.

"What a mistake you made." Immediately after, Genji answers with a precise punch right on his opponent's chin, knocking him out on the ground with blood dripping from his mouth.

The strong impact of the thug's head meeting the floor scared his partners, both hesitating to attack Genji after seeing what he was capable of. But it didn't stop one of them from trying, who rushed at him with a knife.

Genji holds the thug's hand and hits his stomach with a powerful kick followed by another one on the back of both his legs, the last sound being his neck colliding with the asphalt.

He waited for last one to come, but it didn't take long for the thug to run away, but he wasn't expecting Zenyatta's orb coming right at him, making him collapse on the street, unconscious.

As the silence took over, the pupil and his master noticed that one of them was still awake, shocked to see his own knife in Genji's hand.

"I have kids... PLEASE...! DON'T KILL ME!"

Zenyatta, even being against his instinct, chose not to interfere, leaving the man's fate to Genji, trusting him to do the right thing.

"Please... Have mercy, please!"

"Mercy..." Genji whispers. "Angela..."

"Please... Don't kill me..."

"Run."

"Wh-What?!"

"RUN!"

Genji watched the man leaving the alley, disappearing into the mist.

"Dad?!" Now safe, the boy runs at the omnic, embracing him tightly.

"I'm fine..." He replies, staring at his savior over his son's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Genji replies.

"Here..." The little boy offers him a small coin in a sign of gratitude.

"Please, don't. Keep it."

"Love?!"

Suddenly, a female voice echoed behind Genji alongside her footsteps approaching him.

"What happened to your father?! I said this town was dangerous!"

"Don't worry, love." The omnic replies. "I'm fine."

Genji's gaze was now fixed at the family before him. The elegant woman easing the omnic's pain... He couldn't hide how it affected him as it made him remember a similar situation in the past, just as the word still fresh in his mind.

 ** _Mercy..._**

 ** _Angela..._**

It kept echoing in his ears, resurrecting, within his memories, the joy he always had after hearing her name. It was like he could feel it. The warm touch of her hand on his cheek, her soft angelic voice in his ear, and the kindness of her heart.

Her face just beside his.

So close...

So far...

"Angela... forgive me... I'm sorry..."

He misses her... so much...

"Something wrong, Genji?" Zenyatta asks.

"No... it's nothing..." As always, he hides his sadness. "What was the reason behind all of this, master? This... walk..."

"The answer is right in front of us." He replies. "You think there's no hope left for us... That humans and omnics will never live in harmony. But... as a smart man once said: the night is darkest just before the dawn. If someone tries to break the world apart, someone will always put it back together. Good people like you, Genji. "He kneels close to the family, helping the injured omnic with his orb of harmony. "This, my dear student, is hope."

"Wait... I know you!" The kid faces Genji. "Mommy! He is one of the heroes!"

"An Overwatch agent?!" The woman asks. "But... this is impossible..."

"I told you that they were back!"

"Overwatch..." Genji whispers, reflecting about what the boy just said. "The Recall..."


	3. A1: Chapter 2 - Scars From The Past

**"I am beyond redemption." - Hanzo Shimada.**

* * *

 ** _"The world is changing once again, Hanzo, and it's time to pick a side."_**

Those were the words that changed his path.

Kneeled on top of a large building, Hanzo stared at the beauty of the Marvelous City, Rio De Janeiro. From above, he saw a path just beside the sea with beach kiosks, boats, buildings, and bush. It was very dark there, but at the edge of the sea some orange-yellow lights appear timid, illuminating the pier. The rest of the lights are lovingly hidden by the trees. He could also hear the waves crashing on the beach while feeling the wind, blowing gently on his face.

 ** _"Perhaps I am a fool to think that there is still hope for you, but I do. Think on that, brother."_**

Genji's quote echoes in his ear, haunting him once again.

The conflicted archer was shocked after discovering that his brother was still alive.

So many questions, so little answers.

"What have you become, brother...?" Hanzo asks with the memory of Genji as half human and half machine punishes him, just like the day when he left him to die after their bloody fight, the day that broke Hanzo's heart and drove him to reject his father's legacy.

No matter how hard Hanzo tried to restore his honor and put the ghosts of his past to rest, his scars never healed. However, for the first time in many years, Hanzo felt something in his heart, something long forgotten.

Happiness.

Finally, he had a reason to smile again.

Genji, his brother, was alive.

"Genji..."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Suddenly, he hears a mysterious voice right behind him.

His immediately reached his bow, his deep steeps as he turns around, ready to shoot.

"Copacabana beach..." A well-dressed man with an elegant voice speaks to Hanzo without shifting his gaze from the sea, not showing any signs of fear despite the archer aiming an arrow right to his head. "So that's how it feels like. I wonder if that famous musician lives here... What is his name again...? Lúcio...? Lúcio, I think. Did you ever hear his songs? Man, he's awesome!"

Knowing that he was nothing more than just another assassin hunting him, Hanzo shoots, watching as the arrow travels to the man's forehead. However, the unknown deflects the arrow, revealing his intimidating dual blades.

"Oh well..." He stares at Hanzo, apparently disappointed. "Good evening for you too." He smiles. "I guess you forgot the basic manners for a great meeting. Well, that's a shame considering that you were once a warrior of honor back in the day. Good memories... But, fresh start! Allow me to introduce myself." The man respectfully bows before Hanzo. "Jiro... Jiro Shimada."

"Shimada...?!"

"Sure I don't have any ties to master Sojiro's family, and thank god for that. No offense. But... since I'm one of the few remaining members of the clan that your little brother destroyed, why not take the name Shimada? Neither you nor your brother are worthy to carry this honor anyway."

"You dare to lecture me about honor?!"

"Oh, Hanzo... Your father would be so disappointed..."

Having enough of that talk, Hanzo fires another arrow and runs at the Jiro, who deflects the arrow again and gets ready to fight.

He charged at him with his bow upheld, going for a precise hit on his chin and following it with a strike on the chest. Jiro dodges the first and meets the second blow with his blades, staring at Hanzo with a smile. However, the weight of the bow alongside Hanzo's strength sent Jiro and his blades back, but not far enough to knock them free from his hands.

Cornering Jiro against the edge of the building, Hanzo shoots a fragmenting arrow near the assassin's foot.

Besides Jiro's speed to block the arrows, he wasn't able to take them all, as one sliced the collar of his shirt, missing the flesh behind it by perhaps a centimeter.

"Crap..." He grumbles as his eyes shifts back to Hanzo. "...that was expensive!" Despite his anger, he couldn't hold his laugh. "I'm sorry... it's just... To whom am I speaking? The eldest son of the Shimada family bound by the duty to succeed his father and rule his empire, the same warrior who trained his whole life for that responsibility or the dishonored traitor who turned his back to all those that trusted him? Abandoning everything he had worked so hard to attain. Because, you know, if I was speaking to the real Hanzo Shimada, I would say that it is an honor to meet the only and powerful and yada yada... but I think you're not the same anymore... What a shame."

"ENOUGH!" Hanzo charges against Jiro, enraged by his words.

"Ah, come on!" Jiro dodges Hanzo's strike, getting away from the edge. "This is not how you treat an old friend!"

Hanzo was blind by his anger while trying to break Jiro's defense, which was very similar to Genji's fighting style.

"You know, Hanzo." Jiro says while parrying the bow with both his blades. "You were the last on my list, but I decided to finally put you out of your misery. Genji and Angela can wait. What about a thank you?"

"Angela...?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Jiro grins. "Man, if you knew the truth..."

Hanzo replies with a surprise punch right on his stomach, throwing the assassin away with a powerful strike on his chin, able to hear the strong impact of the bow cracking Jiro's bones, making him roll on the ground a few steps away. Seizing the opportunity to end the fight, dominated by hatred, Hanzo fires an arrow while Jiro was still stunned. What he didn't expect was that he would do that same with his pistol.

They watch the bullet and the arrow cutting through the frozen air, almost colliding with one another while traveling all the way to their targets, hitting both Hanzo and Jiro at the same time.

Hanzo could feel the bullet striking against his shoulder, and escaping in torrents through the open wound. Meanwhile, Jiro screams as the arrow meets his hand, stocking on his palm as the gun flies away from his reach.

"And I thinking we could simply... talk..." Jiro groans in pain, slowly taking the arrow off his hand. "You know what, Hanzo..." He stands up, walking some steps backward. "I'm sure that the lovely Angela Ziegler and your dear little brother will both be more... entertaining than you. To be honest, I can't wait to have a... private meeting with them."

"You'll not harm Genji." Hanzo replies, ignoring the blood dripping from his shoulder. "Your life ends here."

"I don't think so, old friend." He grabs a small bomb on his pocket. "I'm just getting started..."

After his quote, Jiro throws a small bomb on his feet, releasing a thick, dark cloud of smoke, obscuring Hanzo's vision.

"Don't think this is over, Hanzo..."

Blind by the smoke, Hanzo shoots an arrow through it, determined to stop Jiro from getting away.

"Coward! Show yourself!" He screams while searching for him.

It was too late. After some seconds of absolute silence, Jiro was gone, leaving Hanzo with one simple question...

Who's Angela Ziegler?


	4. A1: Chapter 3 - For A Better Future

**"The world could always use more heroes." - Tracer.**

* * *

"Emily! I'm home!" Lena opens the door of her apartment. "Sorry I'm late! But I brought you some-" On second thought, it would be better to make it as a surprise, replacing the rest of her quote with a hidden giggle.

"Right here, love!" She hears Emily from the bedroom.

Without thinking twice, Lena zips right to the hallway, stopping right before the door already open.

"Lena..." She greets her with a beautiful smile. "You'll not believe what I just found!"

"No way!" Lena joins her on their bed, surprised to see a photo book on her hands. So many hours searching for it, so many memories gently gathered in those pages. "It was here this whole time?!"

"Funny, isn't it?" Emily's funny laugh echoes in her ear. "I was just organizing your suitcases because, you know, I might need something on your trip to Gibraltar-"

"Oh... about that..." Just now she notices how their entire room was a mess, like a tornado took over minutes before she arrived. Even with her chronal accelerator, it would take so long to put everything back to where it once were. "Ah... love...? I told you that I could take care of this. Besides, I may have everything that I need at the Watchpoint."

"Really?" Emily replies in a sarcastic tone. "What about your clothes, your toothpaste, your socks, your pictures and-"

"Okay, okay! I got it!" She giggles in response. "Thank you, really."

"Don't mention it." Her lips meets Lena's cheek for a warm and soft kiss.

"So..." There it was the opportunity she was waiting for, revealing in her hands a small blue square box. "I brought your favorites."

"Is this what I think it is?!"

"Go ahead! Open it!"

Lena could see the sparkle in Emily's eyes as she slowly unrolls the bow of her present, delighted by the wonderful and fresh smell of her favorite chocolates that reached her nose on the same second.

"Swiss, they're the best."

"Aww.. You are the best!"

"You should thank Dr. Ziegler. She was the one who told me about-" The cold touch of Emily's hand holding hers sealed her lips, watching silently as she puts the box beside them, giving the space she needed for a tight hug, melting the cold still in Lena's body, like a heartwarming reward for her effort to face all the snow outside, again, just to give her a gift.

It was worth it.

Always.

The sound of Emily breathing while she rests her cheek on her shoulder never lost it's shine.

But... it felt different this time.

Firstly, Lena heard a hiccup. Then, she began to feel a tear running on her skin, to her arm all the way to her hand.

"Please..." Emily whispers, with a deep sadness within every letter. "...be careful out there."

The sudden change of atmosphere scared Lena, initially, unable to understand the reason behind that.

"What's wrong, love?" She asks, worried.

"The Recall..."

Fear.

Fear that something bad could happen to Lena.

Emily knew how dangerous her missions would be, as there was always a chance that Lena would not come back home.

There is always a risk, small, big, it was never easy for Emily to endure those possibilities, as she could not guess the outcome.

"Lena... I know we talked about this since our last meeting with Winston. But still... I just- I cannot lose you, Lena... I can't!"

"Hey, look at me." Lena gently holds her chin, slowly bringing her eyes back to hers, staring it with a smile in an attempt to ease Emily's struggle. "Don't worry about me, love... I'm not fighting alone."

To reinforce her point, Lena recovers the album as she guides Emily's gaze to all those pictures, all those memories that Lena made sure to keep alive, regardless of the time, regardless of everything.

Overwatch.

Her team.

Her friends.

Her _family_.

Just in the way that those days needed to be remembered, when they were still the world's greatest heroes. A different time, never forgotten by Lena Oxton.

"Look." She points at a specific photo, probably her favorite.

It showed her as a cadet alongside Reinhardt, Torbjörn and Dr. Angela Ziegler after their mission on King's Row.

"My first mission... Overwatch was not allowed to interfere in London and the Commander Morrison had his hands tied. I spoke with him... I remember... every word...

 _ **"Sir, do you know why I stuck with this?"**_

She places Emily's hand on her chronal accelerator.

 _ **"Why I decided to leave the flight test program and begin training as an Overwatch agent? It's because I believed that if I could figure this out, I could make an asset. I could make this world a better place. I fought to survive, and I'm willing to fight for the world too."**_

She caresses Emily's hair, never looking away from her eyes.

"After that, I was about to face my first mission. I'll not lie to you, Emily. I was terrified at first, but my team took care of me. Reinhardt, Torbjörn and Mercy. They were there, ready to fight alongside me. Ziegler was the one responsible for taking care of me on the battlefield, and she was like a guardian angel, always healing me when I need it and always ready to help anyone on our way. Reinhardt was there with me too, with his captivating humor despite the intense situation. And Torbjörn, well..." Lena tries to find the best way to describe him. "He... inspired confidence, I guess...?" She giggles with Emily, achieving what she wanted. "It was there that I realized that they were more than just a team, Emily. They were... no... they are a family! Ready to put their lives at risk to help those in need, ready to fight for a better future, for a better world! We'll always fight together, no matter how tense the situation becomes. This is who we are, Emily." She presses her forehead against hers. "We are heroes. We are hope. We are honor. We are courage. We are justice. We are compassion. We are determination. We are harmony. We are Overwatch!"

It was right there that Emily saw Lena's desire to make the world a better place. Her strong sense of hope that Overwatch was the best path for peace.

Nothing could stop her from fighting... not even her. Lena was one of the very few people that could still believe in a future without war, without pain, without sadness.

Such a belief could not be broken.

By anything, by anyone.

Lena was sure of that.

 _Little did she knew that everything was about to change._

 _Little did she knew that she was about to make a promise that she would not be able to keep._

"Promise me, Lena." Emily replies as she presses her forehead against Lena's. "Promise that you'll come back safe and sound. Promise that you will come back to me..."

"I promise."

"Say the words, please."

"I promise that I'll come back to you." She wraps her arms around Emily's back, bringing her body closer to hers.

That moment she noticed who she was about to leave, and the true weight of her promise to her.

 _If it was only enough to make change her mind..._

"Emily... I will come back to you. Don't you ever worry about that, okay?"


	5. A1: Chapter 4 - Legends And Ghosts

**"Never stop fighting for what you believe in." - Ana Amari.**

* * *

Silently, Ana waits for Jack, enduring the painful sounds of water drops meeting the floor punishing her ears, one at a time.

"Come on, Jack..."

The room was dark, lacking any sort of furniture, only a small chair now in Ana's possession. An old building abandoned a long time ago, clearly due to its damaged structure, keeping everyone far away. The perfect place for an interrogation.

From the window dividing the room into two, Ana watches Jack performing such a task with a man known as Hakim, a criminal with ties with Talon, also the person responsible for placing a huge bounty on her head.

Questions without answers.

After few punches here and there, Hakim started to cry like a child as Morrison persisted with the idea that he knew something worth sharing about Talon and Reyes, giving him the reason to strike him multiple times, determined to get the truth out of Hakim's mouth.

Ana couldn't hear a thing, only watch the whole scene quietly, strongly disapproving the use of torture.

Shameful.

But, sadly, necessary.

Watching Morrison punching Hakim's face reminded her a lot of the anger that consumed her old friend, Gabriel Reyes. She could see the same thing slowly happening to Jack, knowing the things he was willing to do to expose the truth behind Overwatch's collapse. It would consume him, sooner or later.

And she needed to stop that from happening. Someone had to.

With that in mind, Ana knocked on the glass, his gaze landing on hers right after, probably ashamed with the whole situation. They both were.

After hours of torture, which led to nowhere, Jack finally stepped away from Hakim as he reached the door behind him, returning to Ana.

"Did he say something?" She asks as Morrison enters while taking off gloves covered by blood.

"He will, soon."

"Are you sure?" Ana looks to Hakim, requiring just a quick glance to see the bruises on his face. "If he knew something, he would've told you already. I mean, just look at him." She couldn't hear it, but it felt like Hakim was begging for his life, begging for mercy. "I doubt that he is hiding something from us."

"Well, if he is, I'll find out."

"Good luck with that..."

"Hey, I don't like this, ok?" Jack notices her disapproval. "But, if we want to stop Reyes and Talon, we cannot play by the rules anymore, not against these... terrorists."

"Reyes said the same thing..." She whispers as a painful memory haunts her mind, one of the saddest she had from her time as an Overwatch agent. "Did you remember? That day on the Watchpoint when..."

"Don't compare me with that psycho, Ana. And yes, I remember." It affected him too. The guilt so explicit in his tone. "How could I not have noticed...?"

"I ask myself the same question every day... And here we are, doing the same thing that Gabriel and Genji did to that man."

"It's because you wasn't there, Ana. After you were... gone... Things just got worse. Reyes was no longer the same, Ziegler questioning my actions and-"

"Do you blame her? She saw what happened, she saw what they did."

"Sheng was a Shimada assassin. Reyes and Genji were trying to-"

"They were torturing him, just like you're torturing Hakim, and you still ask me to not compare you to Reyes?"

Her words silenced him, like a direct hit on his chest.

"Jack, you're my friend." Ana continues, staring deeply into his eyes. "Reyes was too, but this life... this hatred destroyed him, turned him into that... monster. I lost too many people already, Jack. I don't want to lose you too."

His silence remained for a couple of seconds, reflecting about what he just heard.

"You said that you didn't care about my war."

"But I care about you. Besides... someone has to watch your back. Your strategy of always rushing in, like you did on that facility, will most likely kill you."

"When did you become so sentimental?"

"Don't you start." She gets away from him, smiling back. "You know what... I can take care of this."

"What you mean?"

"I'll talk to him."

"You? Really?"

"You could use a rest." She grabs her mask before heading to the door.

She was doing that for him, and it would not be by his new methods, evident in her approach regarding Hakim.

"Who... who are you?!" Hakim desperately asks, intimidated by Ana's mask. "Wait a second... You... you are the ghost that..."

"The ghost you were trying to capture." Ana replies with a charming tone. "It's good to finally meet you, Hakim."

"Please! I had nothing to do with that! It was Reaper! He ordered me to put a price on your head! I was just following orders! Please!"

"Calm down, dear. I'm not the one you should be afraid of." Ana grabs one of the chairs nearby and places it right in front of him. "My friend, on the other hand..."

"Don't let him hit me again... I beg you..."

"Relax, boy... Just tell me where I can find Reyes and-"

"Reyes?"

"Reaper... Tell me where he is."

"You don't understand, do you?" Hakim laughs for a brief second. "They... they will kill me. You don't mess with Talon."

"Well, I doubt that my friend will let you go if you don't give him what he wants. All we need it's a location, a simple location."

"You didn't-"

"I understood. What you need to understand is this: You have two choices. You can either tell us where your boss is and we'll let you go, giving you a chance to hide from Talon and live the rest of your life or you can die right here in this room without any chance to fight back."

Hakim shakes his head, conflicted before those two choices. Ana remains quiet, just waiting for his answer.

"An-Antarctica..." He finally reveals. "You... you'll find him there."

"Why there?"

"They are planning something... something big. Look, I don't know the details, alright?! If you want an advice, forget about Talon, forget about Reaper. They have an army over there. You and the bastard of your friend will die if you try something against them. Was that enough?! Can you get me out of this place now?!"

"Thank you for your time." Ana stands up and turns her back to Hakim, going straight to the door.

"Wait! What about me?! You said-" She closes the door, ignoring his screams.

"And then...?" Morrison asks.

"We have his location."

"How did you..."

"Antarctica, we'll find him there."

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"Dear Dr. Angela Ziegler... Damn, that one was horrible, let me try that again." Jiro changes his tone in an attempt to look more polite and romantic. "It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Angela- Oh, come on! Don't cry just yet!"

"Please..." The woman begs with both her hands tied up by a rope in the ceiling. "Don't hurt me..."

"Don't worry..." Jiro snaps his fingers as he tries to remember the girl's name. "Claudia? Larissa? Sorry, it slipped from my mind."

"Lisa..."

"Lisa! That's right!" He gently holds both her cheeks, pressing his forehead against hers. "I really appreciate what you did for me, my dear. I mean, you allowed me to enter your sweet little home when I was injured, now you're allowing me to... practice... for my lovely date with my favorite doctor! So, let's start again, shall we? Don't cry this time, honey. We don't want to ruin this moment, do we?"

"Let me go... please..."

"Yes, yes! That's what I want! It's just a shame that your little friend over there didn't want pretend to be Genji." His eyes shifts to a dead body on the sofa. "But, it's alright. Let's just pretend that I killed Genji already, alright? Now..." He hears his cellphone ringing on his pocket. "Just a minute, dear. Sombra, could you please call me later? I'm in the middle of a... Really? Is everything ready? Next week? London?! Let me ask, what this girl has to do with the part where I have Ziegler and Genji on my... Oh, really? Girl, you're crazy, you know that? Fine! I will be there. See you soon, my favorite little hacker." Jiro ends the call. "Sorry about that. Business. Unfortunately, I need to go... Looks like the real hunt starts now... But again..." He grabs one of his blades. "Thank you for your hospitality. I really hope that... what was her name again... Emily? It was Emily? Anyway, it was a pleasure to meet you, Lisa." He smiles. "But before I go, would you kindly stay quiet while I rip out your fingernails? I know you understand, I need some practice since I'm planning to do that with my dear little Angela Ziegler... or force Genji to do it for me, who knows. Just... don't scream, please."


	6. A1: Chapter 5 - Lost Memories (Part I)

**"My memories... Those days at the facility, most of the times with you away in your missions, with me praying for you to come back to me safe and sound. Those nights, healing your wounds, sharing laughs and small kisses. I just wish that... somehow, we could come back... There was no sorrow, no pain, no conflicts, no tears... only you and me, together." - Dr. Angela Ziegler.**

* * *

 **(Many years ago...)**

It was one of those days, working in her lab while Genji was far away on a mission.

Angela hated that.

His task to destroy the Shimada Clan was always something that she couldn't accept, as Genji was always back, injured and more and more consumed by anger.

There was nothing she could do about it, only wait for him to come back to her, hopefully without any new scars.

"Be careful, Genji." She whispers, remembering her last seconds with him.

Her memories of him leaving the Watchpoint were always the worst ones. She knew there was always a chance for him to get harmed without her there to help him. However, there was a reason to smile. Genji knew how worried she was while he was out, and always before getting on the ship, he made to promise that he would be okay, telling her how she meant to him and, when nobody was watching, he always gave her one soft kiss on her lips before flying away from her reach.

Angela could remember all those moments, and how they were the perfect balance between sadness and happiness.

The distance could stop their hugs, their kisses. But it could never stop their feelings.

"Dr. Ziegler?" Morrison arrives at the lab, noticing how Angela was lost in her thoughts while forgetting the world around her.

"Sorry, Commander." She immediately goes back to her work. "We are almost finishing..."

"We? There's nobody here, Ziegler."

"Oh..." She finally realizes she was the only one in the lab. Apparently, it was almost midnight.

"You should rest a little."

"Yes, of course." At that point, she was fighting to keep her eyes open, but there was something that she needed to know before heading to her room. "Commander... about Genji Shimada... is he..." And as always, she hesitates, fearing bad news.

"He just arrived with the rest of Reyes's team."

"What?!" She didn't even try to hide her happiness in hearing such relieving words. "Is he here?!"

"He's in his room, but-"

"Thank you, Commander!"

Oh, she loved that part.

Finish her daily routine by meeting with Genji, get lost into the heat of his arms, his presence always bringing a smile to her face.

Who would have guessed it that they would become such a pair? So unlikely at first, but soon, the passion grew.

Love.

When had it become a thing? On the first hug? The first glance? The first touch? The first kiss?

She didn't know when it happened, but she definitely knew how.

Their first hug. Their first glance. Their first touch. Their first kiss.

So lovely... so perfect...

 _Until that night..._

 _And the day after it..._

"... I wouldn't." Morrison says as he holds her arm gently, stopping her from proceeding.

"What?" She asks, trying to understand the reason behind his worried words. "Why? What happened?!"

"I read the reports about his mission. He... he might need sometime alone, Ziegler."

"But... why didn't he come here? If he is injured, I can help! I must help!"

"I understand your concern, doctor. But this is not a-"

"Commander, with all due respect, I refuse to stay here while someone needs me."

"I know you have feelings for him, but-"

"This is not about my feelings, Morrison. It's about my duty here." She looks at his hand stopping her from leaving. "Commander, could you please allow me to do my work?"

Noticing that it would be pointless to make Angela change her mind, he allowed her to go.

Morrison didn't know what to think about her words, but, even not wanting her to interfere in Genji's personal problems, he was glad to realize that he was not the only one willing to disobey orders to help others.

It didn't take long for Angela to reach Genji's room. She knocks on the door, but she receives only the silence as an answer.

"Genji?!" She She knocks on the door, but receives only the silence as an answer. "It's me, Angela!" Again, nothing but silence. "What is happening...?"

Even without his permission, Angela entered the dark room, immediately facing Genji sitting on his bed staring at the floor.

"Genji!" She goes at him without thinking twice, and as their eyes meet, she hugs him with all her strength, resting her cheek on his warm shoulder while she hears his heart skipping a bit with her presence. "I was so worried..." She whispers in his ear. "Genji, don't scare me like that again, ok?" A shy laugh escapes her.

However, different from all the other times, Genji didn't return the hug, staying still like a rock despite Angela's arms all over his neck.

"Genji?" She stares at his eyes, confused by his lack of words. "What's the matter, love?" She holds his hand, feeling it shaking, noticing how nervous he was with her presence. "What's is going on...?"

He looked away from her eyes, ignoring her worried expression, like he was ashamed.

"You can always talk to me... You know that, right?" She gently holds his chin, bringing his eyes back to hers as she presses her forehead against his. They both close their eyes, relaxing with the sound of them breathing together. "I know about your mission... I know what you're doing to your old clan..." The calm and gentle sound of her voice echoing in his ears were enough to make Genji relax his muscles, breaking free from his darkness within, breaking free from the bloodshed he was causing against the Shimada Clan. He could feel Angela's fingers caressing his hair, the delicate touch of her soft skin on his cheek, making his soul calmer, making him whole again. "But... you're not like that, Genji. I know you. You're a good man..."

"You don't know me, Angela." He replies in a sad tone.

"How can you say something like that? I took care of you since the moment you got here. All those months, helping you to get used to your new body, our long talks, our walks around the facility with your arm around my neck... It was in those moments, Genji... those moments where I knew who you were..."

"If you had seen the things that I did today... you would never forgive me... you would hate me..."

Angela refused to let his words interfere in her attempt to make him feel better.

She smiled at him, and he returned with a forced and fake one, trying to hide how nervous he was.

"I know..." She reveals. "But... don't allow this mission to change who you are, Genji. I know it's hard to deal with this kind of pain, but I'll help you overcome this, I promise. One day all this will be over, and when it does, I will be there with you and we'll forget all of this. No more violence, no more bloodshed... only us..." She holds his hand and stares deeply into his eyes. "I love you, Genji..."

Angela's heart pulses softly as she feels Genji's hands slowly hugging her waist, gently bringing her closer.

"Angela..." He whispers her name. "Thank you..."

They were slowly approaching, until in a dose of sweet passion their lips met. Angela lost the control of her body as Genji slowly lies on the bed, bringing her with him. She could not resist that meeting of desires. The force of love was stronger than anything else on that moment, nothing more mattered. She could not contain the joy of kissing the man who made her know the meaning of love.

"I love you too, Dr. Ziegler."

They were together now, facing each other's eyes with a smile, blushing as their lips came closer for one more brief second before they get covered by a cold blanket.

Angela closed her eye, feeling Genji's lips on her arm, traveling all the way back to her neck, slowly and gently. She hugs his head, laying her cheek on his while her fingers travel on his back. She could feel his scars, terrified by the amount of it.

"It doesn't hurt anymore... Not with you here..."

He closes his eyes, joining her on a moment of peace and quiet.

 _"Goodnight, my angel..."_

 _"Goodnight, my love..."_

* * *

 **"But everything changes... Everyone changes..."**


	7. Act 1 Finale - Our Journey Begins

**"We are just getting started..." - Jiro Shimada.**

* * *

 _ **"Goodnight, my love..."**_

He remembered... he remembered well, as it always came back to him while he sleeps. When there was nothing but darkness, he saw her face, like she was just beside him.

"Angela... Angela... Angela!"

His eyes flew open as he tried to reach her, only be greeted with the sunlight punishing his eyes, bringing him back to the reality.

Back to his loneliness.

Back to his inner sadness.

Back to the car.

"Don't worry, my dear student." Zenyatta says as Genji slowly recovers from his dream. "We are halfway there. Am I right, Mr. Adam?"

"Just Adam, sir." The omnic replies, driving the car straight to the sunrise. "We'll be arriving at Gibraltar in about... two or three hours."

"Did you hear, Genji? Your dear doctor is just two or three hours away."

It took sometime for him to finally notice that he was awake in the backseat, still sleepy and unable to process what his mentor just told him.

However, it was true.

With the help of an omnic known as Adam, who was saved by both Genji and Zenyatta, distance between Genji and his destination was no longer a problem. Obsessively a gesture of gratitude, one that Genji refused at first, but Adam's persistence proved to be unshakable. The same could be said about his family. The young boy named Jimmy and his kind mother, Jane.

"So..." Jimmy looks at Genji, with his curiosity begging to be quenched. "This Angela... Is she your girlfriend?"

"Jimmy!" Jane interferes. "You don't ask that kind of question!"

"Don't worry about it, Ms. Jane." Zenyatta replies. "I believe that my student does not bother with a simple question." Then, he looks back to Genji. "Am I right, Genji?"

"No, not at all..." He replies, despite not being honest with his answer. "It's fine..."

"Well then..." And then, they both find out who really couldn't hold those kind of questions. Jane. "Who's Angela? Another one of the Overwatch agents?"

"She is one of the heroes?!" Jimmy asks too.

"Yes, she is." Genji responds. "I think you know her better as... Mercy..."

"Mercy... Mercy!" Jane recognizes the name. "She is that medic, Jimmy!"

"The one who looks like an angel?!" Jimmy replies. "Man... this is so cool! All those heroes reunited again... And I'm about to meet them all!"

"How do you know so much about them, little boy?" Zenyatta asks.

"My mother always told me stories about them."

"That's truth." Jane adds. "He started to read books thanks to you guys. So many stories..." Her mind travels to all those nights when she spent reading books for her son. "Classics like The Dove And Sparrow, And The World Spins Madly On, A New Beginning, Healing Takes Time, This Is Your Pilot Speaking and so many other classics about the Overwatch team."

"I know everything about you guys! I can't wait to see all of my favorite heroes in action again! That will be epic!"

The kid's happiness made Genji smile, knowing that he was about to see all his old teammates after so many years.

Especially her, the woman who his heart belongs to, Dr. Angela Ziegler.

 _How to start?_

 _What should I say?_

But, one in specific was torturing him...

 _Did you forgive me?_

As this question echoes in his ear, Genji remembers the day where he saw her tears streaming down her face.

What a torture that memory was, like a painful blade cutting through his chest.

 ** _"How... how could you... HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"_**

Her words punished his heart like bullets, creating a scar that, even after many years, didn't heal.

"Genji?" Zenyatta notices the sadness in Genji's silence. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, master." He replies in a weak tone.

"I know how you feel, my friend." Adam joins the conversation. "Being away from the person you love..." He looks at Jane's eyes for a quick second. "It's a torture."

"Oh..." Jane blushes with those words, gently holding his hand against the wheel. "If you knew the pain that I felt when I saw you on the ground like that..." Her eyes shifts to both Genji and Zenyatta. "I'll never forget what you two did for my husband."

"It was nothing." Genji answers. "Besides, we couldn't just stand there watching. Someone had to-"

"Mommy, that man needs a hand!" Suddenly, Jimmy points to a man sitting on the asphalt alongside with an apparent broken motorcycle beside him.

"No, dear. This car is-"

"Wait a second..." Genji stares at the man's face for a short second, watching as he lights a cigarette. "Wait, stop the car!"

"What?!" Adam obeys, confused. "Why?"

"I know that guy!"

Genji opened the door on the same moment, heading straight to the lone traveler, immediately recognizing his silhouette.

"Well..." McCree says, laying his back against his motorcycle, staring the sky. "I think this is a sign, telling me that this is all a bad idea."

"Jesse...?!"

Hearing Genji's familiar voice, McCree stares at him.

"Look at what we have here..." He stands up, throwing his cigarette away. "Genji Shimada..." He extends his prosthetic hand to his old Blackwatch partner.

"Jesse McCree..." Genji says as they both shake hands.

"Looks like we're heading to the same place. Would you kindly give your old friend a ride for the old times' sake? I don't want to show up late at the meeting point."

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"A moment to enjoy some peace and quiet..." Angela says, feeling the sun gently warming her skin as she waits at the pier, alone with her thoughts.

After many years dedicating her life to help those affected by war, Angela was finally free from the chaos of those conflicts. The constant sound of gunshots and screams were replaced by the peacefulness of the sea making her struggles vanish with the soft and relaxing sound of the waves. Her soul finally embracing a moment to just stop and hear the world around her, as everything was beautiful. No suffering, no tears, no wars, only the sun and the sea.

"Well... I guess they are late..."

The pier was their meeting point, where the Overwatch's ship would take the team to the Watchpoint Gibraltar.

However, she was the only one there, alone, thinking about those who would answer the Recall.

Including him.

"Genji..." She whispers his name, unsure if he would return to Overwatch after everything that happened between them.

 ** _"Angela... forgive me... Forgive me..."_**

"I hope you found the peace you were looking for..." She whispers as she closes her eyes, doing everything she could to erase that memory from her mind.

"Oh my god..."

But then, she heard a familiar female voice right at her side.

"An-Angela...?"


	8. A2: Chapter 1 - Recall

**(Act 2 - Rise Again)**

 **"We are a family..." - Tracer.**

* * *

"Ms. Oxton!" The taxi driver tries to wake her up. "Hey, Ms. Oxton!"

"Just a few more seconds..." She whispers, refusing to open her eyes.

"Could you please answer your phone?"

"My phone...?" Then, Lena realizes that her phone was ringing right next to her, almost falling from the backseat. "Emily...?"

"Oh, I'm sorry love!" Emily apologizes, noticing that Lena was completely tired. "I didn't mean to wake you!"

"Don't worry about it." She giggles. "How you doing, love?"

"I'm worried about you."

"Emily, I'm fine, alright?"

"I'm sorry, Lena. It's just... Since our last meeting when you were leaving to answer the Recall, I just... I just need to know you are okay, you know."

"That was almost a month ago, love. And here I am, talking to you."

"I know! But after what happened in King's Row you didn't call me back. Why, Lena...? What happened that night?"

"I don't want to talk about it, alright?" Her tone shifts after remembering the moment of Mondatta being shot by Widowmaker.

"I see..." Emily notices how uncomfortable Lena was after mentioning her unsuccessful attempt to save Mondatta. "I'm sorry, Lena. I'm sure you did what you could."

"Yes... I think so..."

"Of course you did." There is a pause. "I gotta go now... I will call you back when I get home. And Lena... I love you."

"I love you too, Emily."

One month after joining Winston in his attempt to bring Overwatch back from the ashes, Lena could not believe that, even after the recent Talon's attacks throughout the world, most of her old partners would still not answer the Recall.

It was only her and Winston against the world, doing everything in their reach to help others, but after Mondatta's death, she noticed that they alone could not stop Talon.

And now, more than never, she misses her old teammates.

"Come on guys..." She whispers in frustration while she stares at the sunrise. "The world needs us... all of us..."

"Ms. Oxton, we arrived."

As the car stops, Lena hands the driver the money.

"Keep it." He says.

"Why?!"

"Because you gave me something already, my dear. Something that it was stolen from me, but you and your friend restored..."

"What?"

"Hope." He smiles. "Now go on, my dear. The world needs you."

Then, she opens the door, watching as the driver gives her one final grin before leaving.

"Thank you." She says.

"No... I should be the one thanking you."

After that, Tracer made her way straight to the pier, ready to call Winston to send the ship.

However, when she arrives, she immediately notices that she was not alone. Not anymore.

"Oh my God... An-Angela...?"

"Lena...?!" Then, Angela looks behind her shoulder. "LENA!"

As their eyes met, Lena immediately goes for a warm and tight hug.

"I cannot believe it!" Lena says in an indescribable happiness to see her. "Dr. Ziegler! It's so nice to see you again!"

"Aww..." Angela blushes with Lena's words. "It's nice to see you too, Tracer."

"For one moment, I thought you wouldn't come back."

"I thought the same." Angela replies with a smile, happy to see Lena's iconic smile after so many years. "But... it's time to leave the past in the past. Besides..."

"...the world could always use more heroes." The both say at the same time, sharing a laugh just like in the old days.

Angela's presence was like a light at the end of the tunnel for Lena, giving her hope that the rest of the team would also return to make Overwatch what it once was.

"This is it, Angela! Now that the team is returning, we can finally make the difference again!"

"Yes... I think you are right..." Angela whispers.

However, Lena could not see the same excitement in Ziegler's tone. After all, she could still remember all those personal conflicts she had against her superiors, of how Overwatch exploited her technology, turning it into something more than just a healing device and, of course, Genji's cyberization.

"Is everything alright, Angela?" Lena asks noticing Angela's sad expression.

"Yes, sure." She replies, not wanting to ruin Lena's optimism. "So... how have you been?"

"Great! The big guy and I are working together since the first day after the Recall. Oh! Emily will love to meet you!"

"Emily?"

"Oh, you don't know her yet! I'll call her when we arrive at the Watchpoint."

"A new agent?"

"No." She giggles in response. "She is my girlfriend."

"Oh... Your... girlfriend...?" Angela tries to take that huge surprise without sound awkward or rude about it. "Well... that's pretty nice, Lena!"

"Don't worry, love." Lena chuckles with Angela's reaction. "I guess it was a surprise for everyone. When I was about to answer the Recall, she made me promise that I would come back to her, worried about my missions as an Overwatch agent, but when she find out that you are with us, she will have nothing to worry about!"

"Sounds like you two are very close." A short laugh escapes her.

"Yes, we are. Just like you and-" Lena immediately stops when she was about to say the name Genji. "Angela... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright." She replies in a sad tone, closing her eyes for a brief second.

Hearing about those days when she and Genji were inseparable was a torture for Angela. It was not about regret, it was about the desire of reliving those happy days when Genji was still the man that she felt in love with. But, alongside the memories of all those moments that made her laugh and smile, the memories of pain and the tears came along, hurting her heart and erasing the happiness she once had with him at her side, leaving only the sorrow and the loneliness haunting her.

"Let's not talk about it." Tracer desperately tries to change the subject after seeing Angela's sadness within her faded smile. "So... um... Who do you think it will be returning to Overwatch? Did you have any contact with one of them?"

"No, I didn't." Angela recovers from her torturing flashbacks, trying to keep her casual tone. "However, I'm sure that Reinhardt will be here in any minute. The rest... hard to say."

"I was the first one to come back. It was only me and Winston. We did our best to protect the world... but..." Lena's tone changes as she remembers Mondatta's death, of how she failed to save his life.

"Hey..." Angela notices Lena's shift of tones. "I know that you and Winston were working alone. The Museum, the Mondatta's death... I saw the news, Lena, and I'm sorry for what happened."

"When I realized... he was already dead... I could have saved him, Ziegler. The bullet was coming right at me..."

"It was not your fault. You did everything you could." Trying to ease her pain, Angela gently grabs both Tracer's shoulders, staring deeply into her eyes. "It was my fault."

"What?! But you were not even there!"

"That's why I'm the one to blame. I chose to ignore the Recall. I said to myself that Overwatch was shut down for a reason, that the Recall was a mistake... But I was wrong."

"I don't blame you, Dr. Ziegler. You had your personal conflicts in the past. I understand your decision."

"But like I said, it's all past now. It took me a while, but I can finally see that Overwatch... might be the answer to this chaos."

"Might be?! We are, Angela! We are exactly what the world needs now! Just like the last time!" She takes a deep breath, controlling her frustration before Angela's doubts. Even understanding the reasons behind her concerns about Overwatch, Lena was determined to change that. "Do you remember our mission in King's Row? When we defeated the Null Sector?"

"How could I forget?" Angela shares her laughs with Lena while remembering the old days. "It was your first mission, right?"

"The first and the best! I mean, fighting alongside you, Reinhardt and Torbjörn was just... I don't know how I can describe it... It was right there when I saw what we could do together! The Prime Minister didn't want us to interfere, but we proved that he was wrong, we proved that we, despite what some people are saying about us, we are heroes! And we'll prove that we can still make the world a better place."

Lena's words were enough to resurrect Angela's hope about the Recall. She noticed that, even after the fall of Overwatch, Lena's desire to help others remained strong, just like her unshakable optimism.

"And Dr. Ziegler..."

"Please, Lena. You can call me Angela." She smiles.

"Right! Angela... I just wanted to say... thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here, really. Overwatch could really use your help."

"What about us, rookie?!"

Angela and Lena both look at the man who said that only to be surprised by more familiar faces.

"Come on, Torbjörn!" Reinhardt says. "She is no longer a rookie."

"Whatever!" He replies. "She-" Lena's strong hug suffocates him.

"You guys came too!" Lena screams while Torbjörn tries to break free from her arms.

"Come here, my dear friend!" Then, Reinhardt hugs both Lena and Torbjörn, almost breaking their bones in the process.

"That's gonna hurt." Angela laughs at the situation.

"What are you waiting for, little angel?!"

Not holding her happiness, Angela goes at Reinhardt, joining him in that tight and strong collective hug.

"It's so good to see you guys again..." Angela says. "Even you, Torbjörn."

"Very..." Torbjörn tries to escape them, not handling any more second without breathing. "...funny..."

"This reminds me a lot of our first mission together." Reinhardt comments. "Am I right, Len-" Then, he feels a tear falling on his shoulder.

It was Tracer, trying everything she could to hide her tears of happiness. Her first team of many years ago was right there, reunited, surrounding her with their arms.

"I'm sorry..." She says, trying to remain still while they look at her.

"What's wrong, little girl?" Reinhardt gently asks, finally allowing Torbjörn to breathe again.

"It's just..." Then, she stares at all of them with a smile, unable to hold her tears. "Seeing all of you here... it's... more than I can take..."

She looks at them with tears streaming down her face. She could not believe what she was seeing. Mercy, Torbjörn and Reinhardt, the strike team who saved King's Row from the Null Sector, all of them reunited again, like a real team... Or as Lena liked to call them...

"We are more than just a team..." She says. "We are a family..."

"That's what I like to hear!" Reinhardt celebrates. "Oh, I almost forgot! I want to introduce you guys to my friend." Then, he stares at his van. "Brigitte!"

After his command, Brigitte opens the van's door and joins them, initially without the intention to interrupt their meeting since they had such a strong connection as a family.

"So... um..." She tries to find the best way to introduce herself to Tracer and Angela, since she was a little nervous to meet members of the original Overwatch team. "Hi... guys... It's an honor to meet you all."

"What she is trying to say is that she is with us." Reinhardt helps her.

Angela, at first sight, didn't approve the idea of involving other people with Overwatch. It was their fight alone and that there's was no need to involve an innocent in a crossfire. However, when she was about to say her opinion about it, Tracer goes at Brigitte and says:

"Welcome to the family."

"I'll do my best to help, Tracer."

"So..." Torbjörn interrupts. "That means that we are accepting new recruits... Did you hear that, Bastion?!" He screams to the van.

"Bas-Bastion...?!" Angela immediately asks.

Then, Bastion stares at them from the van, refusing to get out of it, scared of them.

"You got to be kidding me..." Angela grabs her Caduceus Blaster.

"No!" Torbjörn holds her hand.

"What?!"

"He's different! He is not dangerous!"

"It's true." Reinhardt adds. "We gave him a ride with Torbjorn and he did nothing against us."

"Said the one who almost smashed him with a hammer!"

"It was an accident!"

"A friendly Bastion...?" Tracer asks. "Torbjörn, are you sure about this?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence! Why did you guys never trust on my ideas?!"

"Because most of them almost got us killed?" Angela replies.

"Oh yeah?! What about that time on King's Row? Who had the idea of that bomb? Who?"

"Long story short, he is a friend." Reinhardt concludes. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Well, if you say so..." Trusting in Reinhardt's words, Tracer zips right at the van's window. "Welcome aboard, friendly Bastion!"

"Bon bon wee!" He smiles handing a small flower to her.

"For me? Thank you!"

"Wzzz. Wooo."

"I didn't understand a word, but it's nice to meet you too!"

"What about me?" McCree joins them with his arms open. "I know I wasn't part of your team, but... you know..."

"Jesse?!"

"The one and only." He takes off his hat, smiling at her.

As his eyes shifts to Angela, he immediately looks over his shoulder, staring at the car behind him.

"Coward..." He sees Genji watching them through the window, doing his best to stay out of sight.

"Looks like you brought a friend with you." Angela says after seeing a little boy running in their direction.

"His name is Jimmy, by the way. A big fan of ours."

"Oh... my... God..." Jimmy approaches them, staring at their eyes trying to believe what he was just seeing. "This... can't be real..."

"Oh! Sounds like we have a new rookie!" Reinhardt goes to the kid. "Hello there, kid!"

"Don't scare him, Reinhardt!" Torbjörn advises.

"Look who's speaking!"

In an attempt to stop them from scaring the kid with their pointless fights, Angela kneels in front of the boy with her charming and beautiful smile.

"So..." Her angelic voice echoes through Jimmy's ears. "Nice to meet you, Jimmy." She extends her hand to him. "I'm doctor Angela Ziegler, but you may know me as..."

"Mercy." He concludes. "The Guardian Angel."

"Aww... how cute..." Angela blushes with that. "But I'm not an angel."

"But your boyfriend said you were."

"Oh, crap..." McCree grumbles.

"What's the matter?" Tracer whispers.

"Genji is in the car."

"Oh..."

"My what...?" Angela asks.

"Your boyfriend, Genji Shimada. He said that you were his guardian angel."

"Genji...? Is he..."

Then, the world around her stopped as Genji slowly gets out of the car. He seems nervous, hesitating in every step, slowly getting closer to her with his hands shaking. Angela could not move a muscle, only wait for him to reach her.

As they stay face to face again, the world remains silent, watching the meeting between the two.

"Angela..." Genji whispers, taking one more step closer to her.

"Genji..." Between her tears and sorrow of the past, Angela faces him, smiling, happy to see him again.

She feels his hands holding hers as her eyes meet his visor, hiding how grateful he was for being experiencing that moment with her.

"I've missed you..." He whispers, afraid of her next words.

"Me too..." She replies while her hands gently break free from his, traveling all the way to his visor.

His hands follows hers, unable to describe how much he missed her during all those years.

"May I?" She gently asks, ready to take off his visor.

"Of course you can..."

Then, Angela finally sees his real face again, not hiding her happiness in doing so. She could see his eyes staring deeply into hers as they get closer, like they did a thousand times in the past.

"Are they going to kiss...?" Tracer whispers.

"Don't interfere." McCree advises.

Genji felt the warm and soft touch of her hand on his cheek, somehow bringing his lips closer to hers. He hugs her waist in response, forgetting for one moment everything around him.

"You seem well, Genji." She whispers.

"I'm a different man now... I am whole."

Their lips were just a centimeter away from one another, like they were waiting for one of them to take the initiative. However, after a brief second of hesitation, Angela closes her eyes to embraces that moment, experiencing for one more time the marvelous feeling of kissing his lips. Genji shivers in response, not expecting to relive those beautiful memories with Angela at his side.

So good...

So lovely...

So brief...

Without warning, Angela took a step back, getting away from his arms. Her emotions no longer controlling her.

Genji knew the reason behind her sudden reaction, watching the fear in her eyes as he tries to approach her, only to make her take one more step away from him.

"Angela..." Genji whispers her name. "There is something that I need you to know... That day on the headquarters..."

"There's nothing to be said, Genji."

"Yes, there is." He persists. "I know what I did, Angela... And I regret every second of that day. I just want you to know that... I'm... I'm sorry, Angela."

He tries to hug her, but she refuses. After that, Genji chose to stay silent, noticing that his efforts to reach her were pointless.

Seeing the tension growing between the two, Zenyatta decides to interfere.

"Dr. Angela Ziegler." He says. "It's an honor to meet you."

However, Angela could not say a word, leaving a strange silence between them.

"Wow." Tracer goes at Zenyatta due to Angela's lack of response. "It's an honor to meet a member of the Shambali. Mondatta was an inspiration to me."

"To us all. I miss him greatly."

"You are going to join them?!" Jimmy asks.

"Why not? It seems like my student needs someone to watch his back." He expects Genji to answer his sarcasm, but just like Mercy, he remains quiet.

"So..." Jane approaches them, delighted to see all those heroes together right in front of her. "You guys are Overwatch..." For a brief second, she looks at her son's eyes, noticing in his smile something that she knew all along. "You guys... are heroes..." Then, she walks in Angela's direction. "Thank you... thank you all..."

"For what?" Tracer asks as Angela stares Jane without an answer.

"For bringing our hope back." Her eyes go back to Angela. "I'm so happy to finally have the chance to know all of you... Especially the person who inspired me to become a doctor."

"Me...?" Angela asks.

"Yes, you... Mercy, the Guardian Angel... **Guardian Of Peace**..."

"Winston is gonna love to see you guys!" Tracer interrupts grabbing her phone. "This deserves a picture!"

"Let's make him a surprise." Reinhardt suggests.

"Nice! I'll send this to Emily too!"

"Who's Emily?" McCree asks, confused. "And wait a second... Why is there a Bastion in that van?!"

"Shut up and smile!" Torbjörn orders.

"Can I join you guys?" Jimmy asks.

"Of course you can!" Tracer holds Jimmy's hand. "Genji?! Angela?!"

"I'm going." Angela says.

Before joining them in the photo, she looks at Genji, who was still facing the ground with no words to describe his feelings.

"Genji." Angela calls him. "What happened in the past... I'll never forget that day... but still..." She extends her hand to him. "Tracer needs us... The world needs us."

"Come on, guys!" Reinhardt calls them, tired of waiting.

Then, Genji holds Angela's hand, allowing her to guide his path, just like she always did.

"Eyes on the camera..." Tracer says adjusting the right angle before taking her picture, imagining that Emily was seeing her through the screen. "Cheers, love! The cavalry's here!"

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"I have to say..." Jiro stares at the empty bottle of whisky. "What a waste... Don't you think, my dear?" He stares at Emily, tied up on the chair with her mouth covered by a scotch tape. "I knew you would agree." He smiles, watching Emily's struggle to breathe. "Nothing personal, you know." Jiro sits on the sofa, relaxing his body while staring at the ceiling. "Your little place here is very relaxing, lady Emily. Do you mind if I stay here for a bit longer?" Jiro kindly waits for her answer looking at her with his charming and intimidating smile. "And that's why I'm lucky to have you as my newest best friend." He grabs Emily's smartphone. "I love your phone." He whispers. "And also, I love the background photo. You two are so cute together! Oh... looks like you have a new message. Let's see... Oh man... what a beautiful picture! Look, my friend!" He shows her the photo of Lena alongside ex-Overwatch agents. "Cheers, love! The cavalry's here! Such a nice description... Let's see, we have the cowboy, the ruined legend, your cute little girlfriend, the crazy dwarf, some new faces here and there and a... Bastion...? Ah, whatever..." He smiles after seeing his targets. "And yes, we have the beautiful couple... Genji and Mercy... **The Killer Within** and The **Fallen Angel**... Tell me, lady Emily, would you like to be my guest of honor in this lovely meeting?"

* * *

Author's Update (November 6).

"Unfortunately, Brigitte was officially confirmed as Torbjörn's daughter. Such plot point will not appear on The Hunt, since the story was originally planed when Brigitte was only Reinhardt's loyal friend and companion. Also due to the fact that there was no clue/hint on neither **_Dragon Slayer_** nor **_Reflections_** to suggest a connection between Brigitte and Torbjörn, which is unfortunate. To avoid confusion while reading _**Overwatch - The Hunt**_ , it's advised that readers don't take into consideration the **_Honor And Glory_** animated short.

Thank you for your attention."

\- Lianou.


	9. A2: Chapter 2 - Lost Memories (Part II)

**"Nothing hurts more than the memories of that day. That one choice I made, without knowing the consequences, destroying everything that I had around me. A family, friends... her... everything was gone. I chose this, I followed my own path, alone. My mission was complete... but when I got back, there was no one waiting for me. Just now I realize that everything could've so different. I turned my back to the person that did everything to save me from my inner anger. I had a choice to live alongside her, but I chose a different path to fulfill my own desire... vengeance. That was my downfall... This... is my Phantom Pain..." - Genji Shimada.**

* * *

 **(Many years ago)**

Surrounded by the ashes of his old clan, he could barely sleep, fearing those terrible nightmares of his multiple missions to hunt and destroy the Shimada Clan. His body was weak, his energies were gone, slowly drowning in his own nightmares. He could still hear the voices and he could feel the battlefield's tension.

But not with her.

The rare moment of them together was one that always had the power to ease his struggles, always blind by such a beauty as Angela slowly breathes while resting her head on the pillow beside him, smiling.

"Angela..." He whispers her name, caressing her soft cheek with the gentle touch of his hand, proceeding with a delicate approach of his body getting closer to hers, as the tiniest distance was a torture, concluding by wrapping his arms around her neck.

He loved the way she slept. So peaceful, so calm, so beautiful, suiting ner in every way.

He loved Angela, just the way she was.

Kind, sweet, affectionate and, to his eyes, perfect.

"Good morning, Genji..."

Her soft voice echoed in his ears. At first, he was surprised with the fact that she was awake.

"Oh... sorry!" He says in panic. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright." Angela opens her eyes, staring at him while laughing a little.

They share a giggle for a brief second, only ceasing it when Angela's lips got closer, meeting his in consecutives short kisses, one after the other, slowly and gently, only making the long ones feel incredibly warm and more precious.

"Good morning to you too, Angela."

"Genji..." But suddenly, she stops for a second, staring at both his eyes still a little sleepy. "May I ask you something?"

"Oh, of course you can, Dr. Ziegler." He replies as his thumb caresses her chin. "Anything, anytime."

A shy laugh escapes her.

"Genji, what I want is..." There's a pause, like she was trying to select the right words before continuing. "I know your mission is your top priority, but still... could you please stay here for at least one day? I mean, I know you want to finish this as soon as possible, but everyone deserves a rest once in a while. It would be good for your mind and your body as well. And also-"

Before she could start with her classic "doctor's orders monologue", Genji pecked her on the cheek, watching it blush in response.

"You're my top priority, Angela." He says, smiling, but after an awkward silence, he freezes with his own words. "Well... that sounded weird."

"Aww..." She takes that with a smile, easing his embarrassment by delivering the kiss he gave her, this time, in his lips. "It was kind of cute in a way." She grins while holding her laugh due to his funny reaction. "This means you're going to stay?"

"Of course I will! Besides, I would never deny an angel's wish."

He had no words to describe how happy he felt after seeing her expression, as they were about to spent an entire day together, just like before, when everything was so simple.

However, it had more to it, much more in her gaze that Genji could see, but he was about to.

"See...?" She asks. "This is who you are, Genji Shimada. I... have another thing to ask you..." Her tone shifts as her smile fades. "Promise me, Genji. Promise that, no matter what happens, you'll never allow anyone or anything in this world to change you. Don't become... like him..."

"Him...?" Genji asks. "Who?"

"Reyes." Angela reveals, even hesitating for some seconds. "Genji, I don't recognize him anymore."

"What you mean?"

"He is changing, Genji. Since Morrison became the official Overwatch's commander, I noticed something strange in Gabriel. His anger... his hatred... is consuming him. I tried to help, but he ignored my concerns. The Reyes I once met would never do that."

"Angela... why are you telling me this?"

"Because... I don't want to lose you, Genji." She presses her face against his chest. "I can't, my love... I lost many people already. My parents, my friends... This life, these conflicts, this horrible reality surrounding us, it always took everything from me, and I cannot let that happen again, not with you! So please... Please, promise me that you will always come back to me, and you will not allow this mission to change your heart... I need you to promise me that, Genji... please..."

What an impact he had after hearing such words. He could see the sadness within her eyes after mentioning her personal losses, and how she made it clear how much she was worried about him, not only about his safety, but also about who he could become during his solo journey to destroy the Shimada Clan. It could change him, something that Angela was desperately trying to stop from happening while Reyes, on the other hand, kept pushing Genji towards this goal, slowly drowning him into the same rage that began to take over his Blackwatch commander.

"Angela..." He takes a deep breath, ready to answer. "I-"

"Genji!" Without any warning, McCree opens the door and immediately enters the room. "Come on now, pal! The boss is waiting for you at the-" Then, he stops still while staring at both Genji and Mercy on the bed, luckily, covered by the blanket. "Oh... Bad time, huh?"

"McCree!" The couple angrily replies.

"Alright, got it! I'm leaving! But Genji, we are waiting for-"

"I heard already!" Genji argues in an intimidating tone.

"Right, fine! See you later!"

When he finally left the room, Angela was able to hear his laughs outside, embarrassing her even more with the whole situation.

"Sorry about that." Genji whispers in frustration. "I should've locked the door."

"Don't worry about it." She smiles softly. "Looks like they need your help."

"No." He turns back to her. "I told you I would stay today, and this is what I'm going to do. For you... for us..."

She takes that, blushing with his kindness.

"Tell me, Dr. Ziegler." Genji gently holds her chin. "What do you want to do today? I heard there's a pretty good restaurant nearby. What do you think?"

"Oh, a date, Mr. Shimada?" She laughs. "That sounds great!"

"Come on, Romeo!" McCree calls him from the door.

"I will break his arm..." Genji grumbles.

"I thought you were used to him at this point." She chuckles. "Well, we should at least tell Reyes about it."

"I doubt he's going to like this... but I will try, for you."

"For us." She completes his sentence.

After kissing Angela's lips one last time, he headed to the door, grabbing his equipment on the way.

"Finally." McCree murmurs, clearly tired of waiting. "Who would have thought, huh? Now I understand what Lena meant by: Gency."

"Quit the jokes, Jesse."

"Whatever, pal." McCree guides him through the facility.

"What does Reyes want anyway? The ship was supposed to arrive in a couple of hours."

"Well, I think Dr. Ziegler will be happy to know that we will be staying here for today. It's not a vacation, however. Looks like the boss is... talking... to that Shimada assassin that you captured last night."

"Don't say that out loud!" He looks behind his shoulder, afraid that Angela would somehow hear them talking.

"First Reyes, then Morrison and now you. Enough of that classified crap."

"I just... you know..."

"She will never know, my friend. No one here will ever know. Blackwatch, remember?"

"Thank you. But, what this has to do with me?"

"Well, let's say that neither Reyes nor Morrison are having a good chat with our new friend, but we both know that Sheng has the info we need to find the remaining elders of the Shimada Clan. Who knows, maybe he will even tell us where to find your brother."

"Hanzo..."

"We take down the elders, we take down the Shimada Clan, and we take down the bastard that did this to you. And then, you and your lovely doctor will live happily ever after and, most importantly, I'll be free to go back to my own missions. No offense."

"What makes you think that Sheng will simply tell me where to find them?"

"Don't ask me." McCree stops, facing the room protected by two guards. "Reyes is the one with the idea. He somehow believes that you will make Sheng talk."

"By talking with him?"

"I think he has something else in mind..."

The guards let them enter the Watchpoint restricted section, a high-security room hidden from most of the agents and rarely visited, matching with the obscure atmospheres surrounding it. There was no cells, only a huge table with two chairs on the opposite side as the room was divided in two, separated by a bulletproof glass and a security door locked by a keypad panel.

Through the glass, Genji saw Sheng sitting at one of the chairs. He was known as an old member of the Shimada Clan who could be the best chance that Overwatch ever had to put an end to their criminal empire, one that Reyes was determined to take advantage of it. With him, there was Ana Amari, apparently tired and sick of hearing Sheng's laughs and jokes.

"Genji Shimada..." Morrison walks down the stairs leading to the control room, where he watches the interrogation section through the monitors.

"Commander Morrison." Genji greets him in a respectful tone.

"Reyes will be here in a minute." He says, shifting his eyes to Sheng. "Do you know him?"

"Sheng?" Genji joins the commander, following his gaze. "He is one of the assassins following orders coming straight from the elders, an honor that just a few have."

"He knows where they are then. Good job bringing him here, by the way."

"I think I deserve some credit too." McCree interrupts. "I was the one who knocked him down when he was trying to escape. Sure Genji took at least six or seven guys on the way, but-"

"You can have all of it, McCree." Genji says. "These actions are not something that I'm proud of."

"Woah... Looks like Ziegler did a perfect job with your head."

"Yes, she did." Morrison agrees, but in more respectful and polite way, praising Genji's words.

"Commander." Genji tries to change the subject, not comfortable by bringing Angela to that shameful situation. "What has Sheng said about the elders?"

"About the elders? Nothing. About us? He said quite a few things... Despite that, we offered everything we could. Protection, a new life, and countless others deals. But he is... persistent..." Morrison tries to hide the anger in his words. "But he'll tell us their location, I know he will."

"If you let me in, I can make that bastard talk." Jesse suggests.

"Torture is not an option, McCree! The last thing we need is another scandal."

"He's right." Genji reinforces Morrison's point. "Some people are questioning Overwatch's actions, questioning our reputation and-"

"Yes, sir." Jesse interrupts sarcastically.

Then, Ana knocks on the glass and Morrison goes at the door, typing the code and allowing her to exit the confined room.

"Nothing." Ana grumbles as the door closes behind her. "We are running out of options here, Jack."

"I know. Let's wait for Reyes and see what happens."

* * *

 **(Meanwhile)**

Back at the lab, Angela fought to concentrate on her daily tasks, unable to hide her beautiful smile when remembering Genji's promise, like a charming angel lost in her own dreams.

"Looks like someone had a wonderful night." One of Angela's colleagues approaches her. "Good morning, Dr. Ziegler."

"Oh! Good morning, Winston! Anything to report?"

"Nothing especial." Winston walks along side her.

" Oh, I almost forgot to ask you! Winston, are you experiencing any issues with your genetic therapy?"

"Aside from a crippling addiction to peanut butter?"

"Well... I think we can do something about that." She grins.

"Dr. Ziegler!" One the scientists desperately calls her from the surgery section.

Due to the apparent urgency, Angela immediately went there, with Winston following her steps right behind.

"What's wrong?!" She asks, worried.

"Commander Reyes...?" Winston enters the surgery room, catching Reyes grabbing some surgical instruments. "Sir, what are you doing here?"

Reyes ignores him while reuniting syringes, scissors, and extractors.

"Commander." Winston insists.

"Winston." Angela whispers, holding his arm. "I will take care of this."

At first, Winston hesitated to leave her, but he chose to trust her, and after some time, he was gone with the other scientist.

"Reyes...?" Alone with him, Angela slowly walks in his direction. "What are you doing here?"

"Mind your own business, doc."

His aggressive answer infuriated Angela, but she did her best to stay calm and keep her professional posture.

"Commander, with all due respect, you don't have the permission to take this equipment." Angela reminds politely, almost as if it was in a sarcastic tone.

"I'm sure they will be used for a good reason, Ziegler."

"Which would be..."

She waited for his answer, but was forced to deal with his arrogant silence instead.

"That's all for now." With the equipment in hands, Reyes heads to the exit.

However, in a courageous attempt to stop him, Angela blocked his path with her right arm.

"Dr. Ziegler, what is this...?" He grumbles, staring Angela with an angry look, maybe trying to intimidate her.

"I want to know why, Reyes." She says firmly while standing between him and the exit. "As far as I'm concerned, you are not a surgeon. So... would you kindly turn around and put my equipment back to where it was?"

Just like Angela expected, their opposite personalities, again, met another encounter present in both their gaze. At that time, it was part of her routine.

Only this time, he was the one who looked away as he hands her the equipment. But something told Angela that it was not over yet.

"Thank you." She smiles at him. "Now, can I take some minutes of your time?"

"For what?"

"Well... It's about Genji Shimada. Analyzing his latest report, I could notice that he might need some time away from combat. These series of missions are not good for neither his health nor his mind."

"I didn't know you were a psychiatrist."

"I..." She struggles to control her anger. "I'm just asking you to give him a few days. Doctor's orders."

"We are at war with the Shimada Clan, doc. There's no time for vacations... or should I say... dates?"

"What?! How dare you?!"

Their words get louder and Angela's patience started to vanish, unable to accept such a behavior.

"Dr. Ziegler, why don't you follow me? I will show you the truth about Sparrow."

"His name is Genji!"

"We'll see about that."

Then, Reyes walked among the scientists that were watching their disagreement. Angela, frankly offended, decided to follow him, both refusing to say a word after what happened in the lab.

Angela could not believe in such absurd and ignorance, sadly confirming her thoughts about Gabriel, an honorable man and an old friend blinded by his desire to destroy his enemies, no matter what it takes.

She wanted to help him, make him see what was happening to him.

But it was too late.

That man was no longer Gabriel Reyes, no.

It was someone else, someone dangerous.

Still, without a name. Not yet.

"Here." Reyes stops as the guards stepped away from the door, despite a little hesitation due to Angela's presence. "Now, doc..." He turns around and stares at her. "If you want to find out who Genji Shimada really is, just open the door. The guards will let you in. Or you can turn around and pretend that the world is a paradise and peace is the only solution to this chaos... like always."

Before she could argue, the door was already closed.

Angela stood there, reflecting about his words, conflicted about her next step.

What did he mean?

What was happening?

Why Genji was so involved in this mystery?

So many questions, and not an answer.

But now, she knew where to find them.

* * *

 **(Meanwhile)**

"Finally..." Jesse murmurs after seeing Reyes entering the room.

"So, you're here." Reyes faces Genji. "Good."

"What you want me to do?" He asks.

Then, Reyes came closer to his ear.

"Everything you can to convince that bastard talk." He whispers. "Break his bones if necessary."

"What?!" Genji whispers back. "Torture?! I can't do this! What about Morrison and-"

"They will not be a problem. You know that this is the only way to win this war, Genji."

"It can't be me, commander."

"The Shimada Clan fears you. They know what you did to them... And prove to me that I can still count on you."

"Reyes?" Ana notices their private talk and decides to interfere.

"He is ready! Now get in there, Genji. Do your job."

"The code is one-five-four-nine." Morrison joins them. "Remember, the authorities want him without a scratch."

Suddenly, the day that was supposed to be a dream, became a nightmare as Genji saw himself in an extremely delicate position, one that would test how far he was willing to go to destroy his father's criminal empire, but it conflicted with Angela's words still fresh in his mind.

He knew that his efforts to reason with Sheng would be just a waste of time, but he was determined to try, avoiding the violence.

Doing it in Angela's way, not Gabriel's.

After typing the code, the door opens, that being his last chance to turn around and forget all of that. Not for him, but for Angela.

Could he do it? Abandon his mission right there? Return to Angela while he still had time?

But he was so close now. So close to take his revenge against the clan, against his brother that left him on the brink of death.

Traitor.

Bastard.

Monster.

Genji waited so much for that opportunity, he killed so many for the chance to find the man who would be his last target.

 _Hanzo Shimada._

His name echoed, bringing all the rage and sorrow with it.

Emotions, too explicit to hide, and too intense to control it.

Memories of his past that replaced the future proposed by Angela.

And consumed, he stepped into the room.

The sound of the door closing behind him confirmed that there was no turning back. Not anymore.

He was ready, consumed, to finish what Hanzo started that night.

"Well, look at this." Sheng receives Genji with a fake grin as both his hands remains cuffed on the table. "The freak in blood and... steel." He laughs.

Genji looked at the window, but only saw his own reflection, while on the other side, Reyes and all the others could watch him through it.

 _"What kind of man are you?" The mirror somehow made him ask that within his thoughts._

 _Sparrow...?_

 _Or Genji...?_

"They are nice people, you know." Sheng continues. "They offered me deals, a cup of coffee and safety... But I guess they don't know the meaning honor. Something that you, Sparrow, abandoned!" He punches the table.

"Don't call me that!"

"Sparrow, master Sojiro's arrogant son... the black sheep of the Shimada family." Then, Sheng spits at his face. "Nice to meet you, traitor."

"Get him out of there." Morrison orders, fearing that Genji would lose control after that.

"Relax, Jack." Reyes stops him. "The plan is working. Sheng knows him, which means that he knows what he is capable of. Fear, Jack... let's use that."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Shocked by what she saw, Angela ran at the window, noticing what that was about.

"How did you get in here?!" Morrison asks, perplexed.

"GENJI!" She tries to call him.

"He can't hear you." Reyes says.

"You..." Angela angrily stares at him. "You are responsible for this...?!"

"They are just having a chat, doc."

"Commander!" She faces Morrison. "You cannot allow this! Get him out of there, now!"

"Calm down, doc." Reyes repeats, only enraging her even more. "This is a strategy. Genji will only intimidate him." His eyes shifts to Morrison for a quick second. "Like the boss said... Torture is not an option..."

Meanwhile, Sheng continued to do his best to humiliate Genji, challenging him countless times.

"Talk... now..." Genji closes his fists.

"You'll have to do more than that, abomination." Sheng grins at him. "Sparrow, let me ask you: Do you know how many of our- my family died because of you? Well, this may be the reason why these idiots send you here, expecting me to beg before your feet and tell you what I know. Sorry to inform you, but it's not working."

Defeated, Genji looked at the window, meeting his own reflection again, while Angela, on the other side, looked deeply into his eyes.

"Please... don't..." She begs despite the fact that he couldn't hear her. "You're not like this... Genji..."

"Sparrow." Sheng whispers. "I'll tell you a secret for the old time sake. Your brother, Hanzo, told us that you begged for mercy crying like a child while he was breaking you... In the end, you were always a shame to all of us."

"Where... is... he...?"

He couldn't resist any longer.

"TELL ME!" Genji releases his fury and brutally by hitting Sheng's chin.

"NO!" Angela screams.

"That's enough!" Morrison runs for the door. "I'm getting him out of-"

As an answer, Reyes shot the security panel, locking the door.

"This is what it needs to be done." Reyes says. "This war ends here."

"Goddammit, Gabriel!" Morrison tries to force the door, but with no success. "Ana! Get my rifle, now!"

On the edge of despair, Angela tried to break the glass, that after some punches, proved to be a pointless effort.

"JESSE!" She looks at him. "DO SOMETHING!"

"I'm sorry, doc." He replies. "I'm just following orders."

And still, she could hear him...

"TELL ME!" Genji punches Sheng's face again.

"Pathetic..." He whispers with a smile on his face.

"NOW!"

The lack of answers made Genji use all the brutally he could, smashing Sheng's nose with his elbow and concluding with another strike right on his left eye.

His opponent was down, but Genji wasn't done yet.

 _Sparrow wasn't done yet._

"GENJI!" Angela desperately calls him name. "STOP!"

"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Genji kicks Sheng's stomach followed with another one on his forehead. At that point, his hands were completely covered by the assassin's blood. "WHERE IS HE? WHERE IS HANZO?!"

"Jack!" Ana throws the pulse rifle to Morrison.

With the rifle in hands, Morrison exploded the door with the rockets.

"GENJI!" Jack rushes at him.

Blind by anger, Genji, without looking back, struck Jack's jaw with his elbow, going back to Sheng right after.

"WHERE ARE THEY?!"

In a last effort to stop him, Angela entered the room and held his arm.

"STOP, GENJI!" She screams while trying to pull him away from Sheng.

However, in a quick reflex, Genji accidentally hit Angela's left cheek while trying to break free from her hands.

A stunning impact, deep and painful.

It was enough to make her fall.

It was enough to make her feel the blood streaming from her nose.

"Alright! I will tell!" Sheng begs in tears. "There will be a meeting in two days in Lijiang Tower!"

"WHAT ABOUT HANZO?!"

"I DON'T KNOW! HE ABANDONED US! I SWEAR!"

"LIAR!"

"NO! PLEA-"

Sheng met his end. His remaining words replaced by the sound of Genji grabbing his chin and the back of his head. His neck breaking after a fast and strong movement. And his body collapses on Genji's feet, the silence, finally, prevailed.

His heart is now eased.

His muscles, relaxed.

His conscious, heavy.

His mind, free from the anger that controlled him.

"No..." He whispers while staring his hands, trying to accept the results of his actions. "No, no, no... I didn't..."

"How could you...?"

"An-Angela...?!"

Hurt, she stood up, seeing before her a murderer.

An assassin.

A part of her heart dying slowly, just like the man she once knew.

"How... how could you..." Angela says, shocked by the amount of blood on Genji's hand. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!"

There were tears in her eyes, both of them, crowded with sadness, even fear.

The way she looked at him... he was monster.

"Angela... forgive me..." Genji says, trying to touch her cheek with his hand covered by blood. "Forgive me..."

Scared, Angela took a step back, looking away from his eyes.

"Angela... I..." Suddenly, Genji notices Ana shooting her sleep dart at his shoulder.

He tried to fight the initial effects, trying to reach Angela.

Too late...

Too far...

The only scene before collapsing into darkness, her tears streaming down her bruised cheek.


	10. A2: Chapter 3 - The Road Ahead

**"We'll rise again." - Tracer.**

* * *

"Stay safe, Jimmy..." Tracer whispers while looking at Jimmy and his family through the ship's window, watching as they wave to her from the pier.

"Welcome back, agents." Athena greets them all.

"Who's she?!" Reinhardt immediately asks with his hammer in hands, the unknown always setting him on edge.

"Oh, Athena?!" Tracer giggles. "She is Winston's AI system. She very..."

"I'm detecting an enemy Bastion nearby." Athena interrupts. "Ready to activate defensive protocol."

"...charming."

"W-w-wooooo...?" Bastion asks.

"Don't worry, Athena. He's friendly!"

"Affirmative, Tracer. But be advised, Bastion units are-"

"Alright! I got it! And Athena, don't tell Winston that we are coming. We'll make him a surprise."

"Understood. Agents, we'll be arriving at the Watchpoint in ten minutes."

"Well..." McCree gets his seat as he rests his arms at the table with cards all over it. "Sounds like you were having fun, Lena." He looks over his shoulder, spotting Genji with his back against the wall, not a word since his meeting with Angela.

At first, Jesse intended to call him to join the group, but gives up, noticing his personal conflicts. He knew him well, and it was obvious that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, just like Angela, who also kept her distance.

"Hearthstone...?" Reinhardt grabs one of the cards while facing Lena. "Really, kid?"

"What did you expect?" Tracer asks with a smile. "Gwent? Don't make me laugh!"

"Don't mind him." Brigitte gently holds Lena's shoulder, approaching the table. "He's obsessed with tales about witchers and many other fantasies."

"For the last time!" He interrupts. "They are real!"

"Yeah, right." McCree replies in sarcasm. "Just like the Dragonborn, The Ashen One and Geralt of Rivia. What comes next? Narnia? Silent Hill?"

"Don't you ever mention this town again, boy!"

"Could we just sit down and play?!" Torbjörn asks. "Thank you!"

What a magnificent happening. None of them, not even Tracer, could've predicted that such moments like this would ever be possible.

The Overwatch team, together again, sharing laughs, jokes, and a round or two of cards as they wait the classic ship to reach the next destination.

How good it felt to be back.

At least, for most of them, a fact that was quickly noticed by Zenyatta.

"Aren't you supposed to say something?" He asks as he approaches Genji.

"Not now, master."

There was anger in tone, a different one, mixed with another feeling, a stronger one.

 _Guilt._

"Sorry..." Genji immediately apologizes. "I didn't mean to..."

"Genji." Zenyatta holds his shoulder, facing his pupil. "You made it this far. You defeated your ghosts. Don't allow the anger that consumed you in the past to change the man you are today."

After his master's words, Genji returns his gaze back to Angela, watching as she remains distracted while admiring the vastness of the ocean. The sunlight always adding to her beauty... just like he remembered.

"I'll play a little." Zenyatta watches Genji's teammates playing on the table while telling stories about their own adventures when Overwatch was shut down. It was his best opportunity to know more about them, but, just by a glance, he was sure of one thing: "They really look like a family, just like you told me."

"They are the best. Just go easy on them, master."

"No way." Zenyatta heads straight to the table. "Greetings, dear friends. Can I join the game?"

"Welcome aboard." McCree replies with a smile, staring him as he was his next opponent.

As the card game continues, the silence between Genji and Angela proved to be hard to break.

For an outsider, it could mean that they hated each other, searching for any reason to avoid eye contact.

But Genji knew that was far from the truth. He just hoped that she would think the same.

He wants to speak her.

He wants to hear her voice.

He wants to hug her.

But how?

After everything that he did... how could he?

Well, everything has to start somewhere.

He walks quietly, his hands start to shake and his heart begins to skip a beat as he approaches her, nervous and confused in what to do next.

"Dr. Ziegler..." He calls her.

Hearing his weak and scared voice, Angela faces him.

"Hi, Genji..." She replies in a similar tone, sharing the same uncomfortable feeling while talking to him.

In return, Genji remains silent, doing his best to find the best words to proceed, as well as Angela.

"I didn't have the chance to say it, but..." He stares deeply into her eyes with both his hands meeting hers. "I'm so happy to see you, Angela."

She hesitates at first, but decides to receive his words with a short smile, looking away right after.

"I..." She fights to say it. "I'm happy too, Genji."

Then, Genji takes a step closer to her, and slowly, embraces her body against his in a tight hug, gently as always.

What a risky move.

He was fearing for some resistance coming from Angela. But it never came.

She remains quiet while resting her cheek on his shoulder, speechless. However, different from the previous time, she doesn't answer him and doesn't return the hug.

This alone would be enough for Genji to walk away, as she made clear that his presence was not welcome. Not as before.

But he didn't.

He was, again, driven by his emotions. His feelings speaking louder than reason.

"I've missed you so much..." He whispers, and still, taking another risk as he slowly caresses her hair. "I didn't have the chance to say goodbye... I didn't have the chance to say many things."

She takes his words, making her memories of their past even sharper, hurting more than never. Still, she could not deny - or hide - the joy that she was feeling in his arms, as they always gave her comfort, and today wasn't different.

"I received your letter." She reveals as she closes her eyes, allowing the heat of his chest to send her back to those wonderful years they had together, mentioned perfectly by him in his letter.

"You did...?!" He asks, surprised. "Well, that's... that is very nice..."

"You didn't expect me to read it?"

"No! It's not that! I just... damn... why is this so hard...?!" He pauses for a moment, shifting his eyes from hers multiple times.

Then, Genji felt a familiar, warm, and delicate touch on his neck. It made him calmer, releasing him from his doubts.

It was Angela, answering his fingers playing with her hair.

"What, Genji...?" Her angelic voice echoes in his ears.

"It's just..." He continues. "I forgot to write something on it, something that I wanted to tell you personally." Then, Genji takes off his visor, revealing his face to her as he presses his forehead against hers. "Dr. Ziegler... Angela... I... I know what I did to you... I hurt you... But, what I want you to know is... I love you, Dr. Ziegler. You were the one who saved me, healed my wounds and-"

"Genji..." She interrupts him, taking a some steps back, breaking free from his hug.

"I know you probably hate me." He whispers in shame.

"I do not hate you, Genji." She replies in his same tone. "I just... after what happened... I'm not sure if the man I once love is still here." She gently touches his chest, like a direct cold touch in his heart. "He is the one I miss... I miss him greatly... You said that you changed, that you are whole..."

"Don't you trust me?"

"I want to, Genji. But... should I?"

"Angela, I promise you. The Shimada Clan, my mission, Blackwatch... everything is in the past. I wish I could change that, but I can't. But I found my peace, thanks to you and my master... Still... seeing the way you look at me now... it reminds me how much I hurt you, made you sad... I want to fix this, Angela. For you... for us."

He did it.

He finally did it.

Got everything out of his chest, something that he waited years to do.

But as soon as his words were gone, there was not a response.

What did he expect? That Angela would do the same for him? He was naive, a fool, to believe that such a thing was possible.

He was whole again.

But... was Angela?

Did she - could she - forgive him?

Sadly, he had to endure the silence, as it was her only answer to his doubts. He doesn't know what to make of it, but there was nothing he could do to change that, any attempt would be crossing the line, and in doing so, he would only open another wound in her heart.

"Agents." Athena interrupts them. "We arrived at Watchpoint Gibraltar."

Due to the landing's soft impact, Angela lost her balance, as she was unaware of it. But Genji, almost as an instinct, immediately held her in his arms.

It felt like destiny giving both Genji and Angela a chance to finally move on and forget the past, their eyes meeting was proved of that.

Despite Genji's desire to kiss her, he refused to. It was not up to him to decide their fate together. Angela was the one harmed by his choices, she was the one that felt betrayed.

She was the one to decide, and Genji was ready to hear it. He knew that it could not be peaceful, but he had to hear it all the same.

"Genji..." She looked at him, fixedly this time, with no hesitation, like she was aware of the impact that her next words would have on him.

But she had none. Not a word, not a whisper. She didn't need it, as her gaze revealed everything that was going on in her mind.

Fear.

Doubt.

Sadness.

The pain to see a man that wasn't the same.

In the end, it didn't matter how hard she tried, how hard she avoided, it always came back.

Sometimes as a long nightmare.

Sometimes as a quick flash.

The moment when she met _Sparrow._

Always painful.

Always sad.

Never forgotten.

Even today, even by looking at the man that calls himself Genji Shimada, she still wasn't sure, wasn't ready, wasn't strong enough to erase that memory from her life, as it never allowed Angela to move on.

And Genji saw that within her prolonged silence.

"Alright..." He whispers sadly while slowly getting away from her face. "I understand..."

He had to. He had to accept it, knowing that there was nothing he do to change her decision.

Still, it broke his heart.

Still, there was love within its pieces.

Tiny fragments of the kisses they used to share.

The silence between them never felt so tragic.

But they still had a job to do, both of them, regardless of their sorrow.

"Lena!" The team hears someone outside, apparently waiting for the ship's hatch to open.

"Winston!" Tracer happily says his name, holding her laughs trying to not ruin the surprise.

"I was worried about-" Before he could say anything else, the hatch opened, revealing the whole team staring right at him.

"SURPRISE!" Tracer giggles while Winston remains frozen with his mouth open.

"Oh... you brought... them..."

The unexpected closure came with Winston suddenly collapsing on the ground.

"Wow." Brigitte comments. "That was... quite a welcome... I guess..."

"Boo doo boo doo!" Bastion goes at Winston, touching his face in an attempt to wake him.

"Looks like we have our first casualty already." McCree grins with the whole situation. "Doc! A little help here?!"

"Now I'm worried about Emily's reaction..." Tracer stares at her cell phone. "Wait... not a message?"

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"Wake up, darling!" Jiro gently orders, caressing Emily's hair with the moonlight illuminating his terrifying smile. "I brought you some food. I hope you're not vegetarian."

Stunned by what it seemed to be recent strike on her head, Emily was finally conscious again in somewhere that, despite her blurred vision, reminded her of a backseat of car, confirmed by her kidnapper and his hands on the wheel.

Her hands were tied behind her back, and she immediately noticed the scotch tape covering her mouth, making every breath feel like a desperate fight for survival.

"Oh, sorry." Then, he removes the tape, allowing her to speak. "Wow... Sorry about my inconvenience but... you are so beautiful..."

"Get your hands off me, you lunatic!" Emily tries to bite his finger, but Jiro escapes on the last second.

"Hey, calm down!" He grins at her. "Here." Jiro hands Emily a small hamburger. "I'm sorry, it doesn't look like the pictures. Hell, I broke the guy's hand requesting a better one, but you know how the system works. Well, by any means, you owe me four dollars."

"Go to hell."

"Well, more for me I guess." Jiro stares at it. "Nah... You're right." He opens the window and throws the hamburger through it.

"Who are you? Where are we going?!"

"Oh, my apologies." He activates the car's autopilot, giving him the liberty to return his gaze back to her. "My name is Jiro Shimada."

"Shimada...?!"

"Looks like you know my family! Apparently, your cute girlfriend is a talkative-" There is a pause as soon as he first felt Emily spitting at his face.

"Don't you ever mention her again." She advises with a strong gaze.

It was a courageous move, but after seeing the he kept the smile, it became a stupid one.

"Man... I will love to have some fun with you... I mean, we'll take some time to arrive at the meeting point. So... let's play a little."

Emily didn't have the time to process what he just said thanks to the sudden stop of the car, making her head collide with the front seat violently.

"Sorry about that!" Jiro opens the door and gets out. "Yeah... this will do..."

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Emily tries to break free from the rope at her hands.

"Ah, I know what this looks like, but there's nothing to fear, darling." Jiro opens the back door. "Come on, get out."

"W-What?!"

"I told you, there's nothing to worry about."

Confused and scared, Emily obeyed, facing the vast area of bush and trees surrounding the road they were in.

"Sorry about giving you the wrong idea..." Jiro lights a cigarette. "You know, I would never do that... You can scream all you want, but I can guarantee you that, right now..." He pauses to see what time it was on his smartphone. "...maybe, just maybe, we are the only ones on the road. So... yeah, don't do that. Instead, take some fresh air, enjoy the lovely view." He gazes the obscure landscape. "Okay, maybe not that lovely, but you know what I mean."

Without thinking twice, Emily turned around and began to run away, but after hearing a gunshot, she froze in fear.

"Now you woke up all the birds." Aiming at the sky, Jiro slowly lowers his gun.

"Please..." Panicking, Emily faces him. "You don't have to do this."

"You know what, darling... You are right. I don't have to, but I want to!" His smartphone starts to ring. "Not again...! Give me one minute, please." He accepts the call. "Gabe! My favorite serial killer! You don't mind if I call you that, don't you? Sombra calls you in the same way, so why not?"

"Where are you, Jiro?" Emily could hear a terrifying voice grumbling through the smartphone.

"You know, just stopping to take a fresh air." Jiro gazes at Emily, blinking his left eye to her.

"You got the girl?"

"Of course! And let me tell you, she is a lovely company!"

"Just follow the plan..."

"Yeah, sure. But remember..." His tone shifts to a serious one. "Genji and Angela are mine." Jiro ends the call, gazing the phone's clock. "The time is coming..." He glances at Emily's scared expression. "Tell me, my dear. Did you ever play hide and seek with your lovely partner?"

She stood still, not knowing exactly how to answer such a random question.

"My brother loved this game. What a good friend he was. We used to play this innocent game in places like these... without noticing that it was just another one of master Sojiro's training lessons, just like he did with Hanzo and Genji. Something about being careful to your surroundings and yada yada. But my brother? Ha! He always wanted to take things to the next level, trying to prove that we were worthy and strong just like them, even more at some point. So, he invented his own rules. The original idea was the same, but applying some sort of... punishment for the loser."

Noticing his intentions and his tone becoming darker and sharper, Emily had no other option but to take some steps back.

"That would be something like... a deep cut on the skin, a strong punch on the jaw..." He stares at her with a smile. "I really like your eyes... So let's play, Lady Emily."

"What...?!"

"You see, I'm giving you a chance to escape and hide since I miss the old days with my brother. But..." He reveals his dual swords to her. "Following his old rules. If I find you, I will... take one of your eyes for me. I think our dear Tracer will love that. So... deal?"

"You are... YOU ARE CRAZY!"

"No, sweetheart... I'm fair. Now hurry up, darling... run."

No way out, no other option than to surrender to that sick game of his. And before Emily could notice, she was lost into the woods, despairing at the darkness as Jiro kept staring at her from the road.

"Well..." He throws his cigarette away. "This shouldn't take long." He grabs his swords and slowly walks through the bush. "Like you always said, _Sheng_... just follow the footsteps."


	11. A2: Chapter 4 - Horizon Light

**"We all have our burdens..." - Dr. Angela Ziegler.**

* * *

"Come on, big guy. Get up." Tracer stares Winston lying on a huge tire next to his desk. "Dr. Ziegler." She faces Angela right at her right side. "How long is he gonna stay like this?"

"Hard to say." Angela replies. "Maybe an hour or two."

While the rest of the crew were exploring the old Watchpoint full of memories, Angela and Tracer both remained at Winston's large lab surrounded by modern equipment and some prototypes, some strangely new to Angela, just waiting for him to wake up.

Angela was finally back to the place that she spent most of her days as an Overwatch agent. Watchpoint Gibraltar. Through the window, she admired the horizon, smiling while staring at such beauty that reminded her of why she liked the place.

Today, it had a different meaning to it, as it sent her back to the old days in a blink of an eye. Whispers of her colleagues chatting surrounding her while she and Winston work together. What a team they were.

The laughs, the long days and nights of work.

Now memories flashing through her eyes. Memories of a different time, one that she sadly misses.

"Dr. Ziegler...?" Lena gently calls her name.

"Sorry." Angela breaks free from her flashbacks, unable to hide a shy smile after remembering Overwatch's glory days.

But it all began to collapse, sooner than she wanted to.

Being back was also an intense conflict of emotions. Angela couldn't define precisely what she was feeling, the only surety she had was that it was painful.

On one hand, she finally had a reason to smile again. She was back, back to her lab, back to her work, back to the place that she used to call home.

She was happy, but it was never for so long.

It was always hard to remember everything without thinking about him, Genji, and what he did, haunting her with what she saw, making her smile fade immediately.

 _Would the pain ever go away?_

She used to ask, and the answer was always hard for her to take.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Even hesitating to touch on Angela's personal problems, Lena decides to help the lonely doctor in a courageous attempt to ease things between Mercy and Genji.

"About what?" Angela asks, despite knowing what Lena meant by saying that.

The truth: it was her way of giving Lena one last chance to leave her alone with her sorrow.

"You and Genji."

But it just made her remember how persistent Lena was, and despite her good intentions - always so determined to help a friend - Angela din't want to be bothered with the subject. She wanted to forget it.

What a pointless effort that was.

"Dr. Ziegler, I know I shouldn't be bothering you with this. That's none of my business. But... can't you see that Genji is doing everything he can to show you that he's ashamed for what happened?"

"You are right, Lena... It's none of your business."

Those rude words came at Tracer, cutting deeper like a straight bullet impossible to dodge.

"I was just trying to help..."

And there was the return, showing how shameful Angela's response really was.

"I'm sorry, Lena." She whispers softly, regretting every letter.

"It's fine." Tracer giggles as she notices that now she had Angela's full attention. "You know, love... A good friend of mine told me that, sometimes, it is good to share your problems with someone else."

"Who said- Oh... it was me?!"

"Don't you remember when I was just a rookie? When I was struggling to face what happened to me after the accident. You was the one that was right there with me, hearing me talking about my problems. You and Winston. I know it sounds pointless, but that helped me a lot! Dr. Ziegler, you helped me just by simply hearing what I had to say." She steps closer to Angela. "Now, please, let me help you this time. I know you don't want to talk about it, but... at least try a little."

"I... I don't know what to think, Lena." Struggling to think on the right words to describe her feelings, Angela faces the floor while focusing on Lena's original question. "I want to believe him." She closes her eyes. "But... every time I see him... it brings back those memories... my guilt... my pain..."

"Guilt, Angela?"

"I was part of the medical team that was responsible for Genji's cybernization. Blackwatch, The Shimada Clan, his missions, his anger, I could've avoided everything from happening... but I didn't..."

"Woah... This explains why you were so determined to help him... But, Angela? You fell in love with him, you two were so happy together."

"Yes..." She admits while a weak smile escapes her. "I... I don't know why or how... It just... happened. I never felt something similar in my whole life. He was so kind and gentle with me, always thanking me for saving his life. As he was slowly recovering from his injuries, I was there with him, helping him in every step of the way. After some time, our talks became longer and we were getting closer... He was the one that made me laugh and smile, and for a moment, he made me believe that we could have a life together when our duty was over... but this day never came. When he was ready, his mission to destroy the Shimada Clan started. He didn't tell me the details, but I knew what he was doing. I could feel his heart being consumed by anger and hatred. I tried everything I could to help him remember that there was always another option, another path... One day, when we woke up, I told him to stay with me, that I wanted him to stay for a few days to rest with me, to make him remember who he really was. And then..." While remembering his exact words, Angela could not hold a short laugh. "He told me that I was his top priority." She faces Lena and they share a smile. "He wanted to hang out with me instead. He didn't care about his mission anymore. Somehow, he knew that he was becoming someone different, and he promised me that he would never allow that to happen... At least..." Her smiles fades. "...that's what he said. Hours later, I saw him... but the Genji I knew was gone, replaced by someone known as... Sparrow..." She pronounces that name with disgust.

"I see... But, Angela... why don't forget the past and start to live the present? I know it may seem hard for you, but... why don't you go talk with him? Maybe you two, you know, could help each other overcome this. I know what Genji did was terrible, but I know him too, and I can tell that this must be haunting him ever since. Back on the pier, he was so happy to see you and, for a minute, you were too."

 _Their sudden kiss._

"Angela..." Tracer holds both her hands and stares deeply into her eyes. "Do you love him?"

"Lena... I- I don't know."

She used to have an answer to that question.

But not anymore.

"Still, go talk to him." She grins. "It's good to share your problems with someone else." She repeats Angela's quote to reinforce her point. "Don't be afraid to tell him about your feelings, and allow him to tell his. In the end, you'll have your answer."

"Now that's a role reversal."

"Déjà-vu, right?" They share a quick laugh. "Now go, Angela. Go find him."

"Yes, I will. But first..." She turns to Winston. "...someone else needs me. And Lena, you said that you would call Emily to introduce her to the team."

"I tried, but she did not answer my calls. Maybe she is having a busy day at work. She seemed to be in a hurry when we last spoke. I'm sure that she's going to call me back at any moment!"

"Alright then. I can't wait to meet her." Then, Angela shifts her gaze to Winston's desk, noticing an excessive amount of jars peanut butter all over it. "Looks like he's still addicted."

"Precisely, Dr. Angela Ziegler." Athena says through Winston's notebook.

"Oh..." Angela faces the monitor. "You must be Athena."

"It's an honor to have you here, Mercy. Winston will be glad to see you."

"You could say that again..." Angela notices some photos around the monitors. "You do miss the old days, don't you my friend?" She stares at Winston's motionless face as she smiles at him. "Just like I do."

"Hm...?" Then, he begins to wake up. "What happened...?" He opens his eyes, recognizing the familiar face. "Zi-Ziegler...?!"

"Hi, Winston." She happily greets him.

"My..." He gets up and faces her. "I- I cannot believe... You're here!"

"Aww..." Angela blushes with his cute reaction. "It's good to see you-" She pauses as Winston approaches her. "Oh, wait a second! Don't you-"

Too late to escape his tight and strong hug, the latter being the reason for some probable broken bones.

"It's so good to have you back, Dr. Ziegler!"

"Winston..." With her rib being smashed by Winston's strength, Angela desperately fights to breathe while handling the massive pain. "I'm... happy... too..."

"Hey, Ziegler!" Lena joins them, unable to hold a giggle as she stares at Angela's painful expression. "On a scale of one to ten, how is your pain?"

"Very... funny... Lena..."

"Oh, sorry!" Winston immediately gets away from her. "I'm sorry, Dr. Ziegler! I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay..." Angela recovers some air while doing her best to remain still.

With the embarrassing situation, Winston's gaze met the floor, ashamed for hurting his old colleague with his... over enthusiasm.

"I'm sorry. I..."

"I missed you." She whispers in his ear as she approaches him for a soft and warm hug, way different from the previous, and way gentler. "I missed you so much,Winston!" The the delicate sound of her voice made him calmer, as she can feel his body relaxing as well as his face on her embraces her, slowly this time, returning Angela's kindness, maybe fearing that all of that was just another one of his dreams.

"Am I dreaming?" He awkwardly asks.

"No, dear friend." A short laugh escapes her. "I'm here."

"Oh my... Thank you..." He whispers, trying to hold his tears. "Thank you for coming back, Dr. Ziegler. Welcome home, old friend."

 _Home._

Something that Angela never had after the First Omnic Crisis, the same one that killed her parents and turned her into the person she is today. A brilliant scientist, and a staunch advocate for peace.

 _ **"You can't ignore what is happening! Look outside! People need Overwatch! The world needs heroes! We need you, Mercy! Please!"**_

"You were right, kid..." Angela closes her eyes to see the young girl's face again. "I'm home now."

"What?" Tracer asks. "Who?"

"Are you feeling well, Angela?" Winston stares at Angela's face.

"Yes! I'm just... thinking out loud."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Tracer immediately zips to the stairs. "I will call the others!"

"Others?!" Winston freezes with that word as Tracer heads straight to the lab's exit.

"I'm not the only one." Angela reveals, delighted by Winston's happy expression. "McCree, Reinhardt, Torbjörn, and... Genji."

"You got to be kidding me... Are they here too?!"

"Stay still, Winston." Athena advises. "Your heart rate is still through the roof."

"For the last time, Athena! Stop monitoring my vitals!"

"Doctor's orders." Angela interrupts with a smile. "Just take a deep breath this time, alright? You cannot imagine how hard it was to carry you."

"Always worried... You didn't change a thing, Dr. Ziegler."

"You look the same too, Winston. Ah... and we have some new members... including a friendly Bastion..."

"A what?!"

"I said that too. But don't worry, he's not dangerous at all. Actually, he's kinda cute in a way."

"Well... alright then." He pauses to think about that for a moment, a friendly Bastion was beyond his imagination. "Wait a second. Did you say... Genji? Genji Shimada?"

"Yes..."

"So you two are good? I mean... after what happened... Did you talk with him?"

"You too?!"

"Rise and shine, big guy!" McCree faces Winston from downstairs.

"Jesse...?!" Winston carefully jumps from the control room and safety lands right next to him.

"Winston?!" Reinhardt immediately joins them with Brigitte watching everything at distance. "Greetings, my friend!"

"Try not to faint this time!" Torbjörn reaches the group.

"That was his way of saying hi!" Angela reminds Winston of Torbjörn's personality.

What scene was before Angela's eyes.

Watching as Winston awkwardly greets the team with his eyes taken by his tears, Angela sees each one's expressions. Laughs and smiles echoed throughout the lab, like members of a family finally reunited again.

Just like on her memories.

Just like it meant to be.

"Woop doo woo dun woop dun doo." Bastion arrives.

"So... you're the friendly Bastion." Winston approaches him, intrigued by the passive unit. "Interesting..."

"Boo doo boo doo!" He hands him a small flower.

"Oh... Thank you."

"Don't mind him." Torbjörn interferes. "He really likes these... flowers. It's strange."

"It's a sign of peace, Torbjörn." Angela corrects him. "Wait..." After a quick look, she immediately notices that someone was missing. "Lena, where's Genji?"

"I don't know." She replies. "I didn't see him anywhere."

"Maybe he is on the ship?" Zenyatta comments.

"No..." Angela interrupts while shifting her gaze back to the horizon. "I know where he is..."

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

With Angela's recent words still fresh on his mind, Genji decided to isolate himself from the rest of the team.

Lucky for him, searching for the perfect stop to stay alone with his thoughts would be quite an easy task.

He knew one. Oh, how he knew.

The top of the famous Rock of Gibraltar, and marvelous landscape around it.

The wind gently blows against his body as he kneels on the ground. He takes off his visor, facing the horizon with his own eyes and allowing the sunlight to carefully warm his skin, easing the conflicts within his mind.

It was enough.

It used to be something, it used to be better.

It used to be _they._

 _They knew one. Oh, how they knew._

He used to have Angela just beside him, most of the times, the goodbye kiss before his missions.

He could still feel Angela's hand on his chest, a soft touch awakening a feeling of something that he didn't feel for years... happiness. It was hard to believe that, even after so long, and so much, she still had the same impact on him.

"Angela..." He whispers her name to the wind.

* * *

 _ **"Genji... May I ask you something?"**_

 _ **"Oh, of course you can, Dr. Ziegler." He replies as his thumb caresses her chin. "Anything, anytime."**_

 _ **A shy laugh escapes her.**_

 _ **"Genji, what I want is..." There's a pause, like she was trying to select the right words before continuing. "I know your mission is your top priority, but still... could you please stay here for at least one day? I mean, I know you want to finish this as soon as possible, but everyone deserves a rest once in a while. It would be good for your mind and your body as well. And also-"**_

 _ **Before she could start with her classic "doctor's orders monologue", Genji pecked her on the cheek, watching it blush in response.**_

 _ **"You're my top priority, Angela." He says, smiling, but after an awkward silence, he freezes with his own words. "Well... that sounded weird."**_

 _ **"Aww..." She takes that with a smile, easing his embarrassment by delivering the kiss he gave her, this time, in his lips. "It was kind of cute in a way." She grins while holding her laugh due to his funny reaction. "This means you're going to stay?"**_

 _ **"Of course I will! Besides, I would never deny an angel's wish."**_

* * *

 _It used to be perfect._

 _It used to._

"I'm sorry..." He faces his own hands as the memories keeps haunting his head. "I should've stayed... I should've..." As he struggles to face his memories, he grabs a necklace with the Valkyrie icon on it, shining like a small star on his hand.

He made that. It was after.

He needed something to remind him of her face, but he had nothing, so he chose make one.

Something so small.

Still.

Something so rich.

It held his memories of her laughs, her smile.

Something that would later become a present as he planned to deliver it to Angela on the pier, but his courage was smashed by her sad expression after their kiss.

Later, at the ship, Genji was convinced that the necklace was nothing more than a bad idea as he began to face the fact, no matter what he tried to do next, he would never be able to change the past.

The sadness in Angela's face just confirmed that to him.

The necklace was now just another reminder of what _could have been_. Another way to make things worse between them.

Angry with his own attitude, Genji stood up and aimed at the sea, ready to throw the necklace away.

But he hesitates.

He couldn't let it go.

He couldn't let her go.

He just couldn't.

"Genji...?"

"Angela?!" He immediately turns around and faces her awkwardly, surprised by her sudden arrival.

"I'm sorry." Seeing his tense expression, Angela lowers her head, ashamed for interrupting his meditation. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"What? No, don't worry about it!" He hides the necklace behind his back with his hand shaking a little. "So... um... anything I can help you with?"

"No, thank you." She keeps a short laugh to herself after Genji's tense tone. "I..." As their eyes meet between the sunlight, Angela's words were gone for a brief second. "...Winston woke up. The team is waiting for us at the lab."

"Oh... right."

"Well... I see you there." She gets ready to fly back to the facility.

"Angela, wait!" The words escape him as Angela activities her wings.

Hesitating at first, Angela faces him, noticing his body trembling as he slowly walks in her direction while avoiding eye contact.

"I..." Standing right in front of her, he proceeds. "I have something for you..." His eyes meet hers as he reveals the shiny necklace on his hand. "It's for you." He could hear his heart skipping a beat, fearing Angela's upcoming reaction, desperately trying to stay still.

"Genji..." She stares at the beautiful necklace, unable to hide a short smile after noticing the Valkyrie icon, delighted by such beauty. "It's... so beautiful... I..." Then, she notices his sad expression. "Genji..." She gently holds both his cheeks. "Thank you, really."

"Angela..." He holds her hands. "How did you know I was here?"

"How could I forget our special place?" She smiles. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course I do. All those times when I was about to get on the ship... You always..."

"I always kissed you before you fly away to another one of your missions... I was always so afraid that it could be our last..." She concludes in a sad tone.

"Angela... I know that I'll never be able to change what happened that day. I'll have to live with what I did... knowing that I could've just walked away and forget all of that to stay with you, forever. I... I could've done that... but I didn't... Instead, I disappointed you. I hurt you." He lowers his head, ashamed to look her in the eyes as the memory of him accidentally hitting her cheek flashes through his mind.

Taken by her emotions, Angela lays her head against his chest. Genji's body freezes with that, not knowing what do or say in return.

"You cannot imagine how much I missed you..." She whispers as Genji hears her, suddenly, crying rivers of tears. "Genji... we could've stayed together! We could've lived together on a house when everything was over! We could've grow old together! Everything could've been so different!" She kneels on the ground. Genji follows her while gently embracing her head against his body. His fingers start to softly caress her hair, relaxing her as she continues to cry. "I wanted you... Genji..."

Her words and tears hit harder than never.

"I ruined everything..." He whispers in sadness. "I don't know what happened to me... I just know that I could've stayed at your side like I promised you I would. All the nights I think about that morning, about what you told me about Reyes. You was trying to save me... but I was too blind to see it. I'll not try to justify what I did with Sheng, Dr. Ziegler. I just can't. But that wasn't me... it was..."

"Sparrow...?"

"It's not an excuse. I failed with you..."

Then, she lifted her head, looking him with her face covered by tears.

"I wanted the same things." He sadly whispers. "I wanted to stay with you." He finally faces her. "I love you, Dr. Ziegler... more than you know. I know that I'll never be able to apologize for what I did... but..." His hands gently meets her neck as he slowly presses his forehead against hers. Angela closes her eyes in return, allowing his arms to protect her from the cold wind, warming her body as Genji keeps caressing her hair. "I still have those wishes, Angela. I want to stay with you, forever... I want to stay at your side no matter what. I want to fulfill all my promises. I want to make you happy again, to have our long talks..." His lips comes closer to hers. "I love you, Angela... I loved, I love, and I will forever love you. And I want to stay with you this time. No more orders, no more pointless missions, no more lies... Only you and me working to make the world a better place, together, just like you always wanted... Would you-"

There was an interruption.

There was Angela resurrection the love never forgotten between them.

There was a kiss.

Passionate and perfect in every aspect.

"I love you too, Genji Shimada." She whispers his name, erasing the name Sparrow from her memories.

There was no sorrow.

No regrets.

No tears...

There was only them and the horizon, feeling once again the delicate taste of their unbreakable bond.

" **Together forever.**.." He replies while quickly kissing her lips one more time. "Everything will be different now, Angela. For you..."

"For us..."

"Genji!" A familiar voice interrupts their lovely moment.

Both Genji and Angela quickly turns to face the person behind them. As Angela looks at the mysterious man, Genji immediately stands between her and the him, like something bad was about to happen.

"Brother...?" Genji stares at Hanzo while trying to believe in such surprise.

"Genji..." Hanzo replies motionless. "We need to talk."


	12. A2: Chapter 5 - Heavy Burden

**"Sometimes... you have choose between happiness and the truth." - Hanzo Shimada.**

* * *

 _ **"Man, if you knew the truth..."**_

Jiro's vague words haunt his mind again.

More questions, but still, no answers.

He could not think of anything else after his bloody encounter with Jiro, an unknown assassin that wrongly proclaimed himself a Shimada, hunting not only him, but Genji as well.

However, something else was torturing Hanzo's mind ever since their fight.

Dr. Angela Ziegler, the woman that Jiro mentioned.

What truth?

Who's she?

It didn't take too much time to Hanzo finally find a clue.

Dr. Ziegler, a brilliant scientist that served Overwatch many years ago, known as Mercy.

His eyes gaze at one of the very few photos of Overwatch's early days that was available for the public. A photo showing some of the Overwatch agents receiving medals from the International Justice Commission, the same ones responsible for the recent Petras Act.

He memorizes Angela's face while thinking about the same question countless times... What truth? Why would a Shimada assassin hunt an innocent doctor?

The more Hanzo tries to find the answer, the more his anger started to rise. Then, after more hours trying to find something else about Overwatch, he comes across a series of recent news, both from Atlas. One of them reveals some odd activity in one of Overwatch's old facilities.

Watchpoint Gibraltar... If Overwatch was back in action, that would be the place to start looking for Mercy.

It was a shot in the dark, but he needed to know the truth behind all of that, and at the same time, find out the reason behind Genji's cybernization. Just by imagining the possibility of Mercy been the person responsible for it was enough to make his blood boil.

Could that be the truth that Jiro spoke of?

There was only one way to find out.

And then, the day finally came.

"I love you too, Genji Shimada..." At a safe distance, Hanzo remains still as Genji and a beautiful lady in a passionate exchange of looks and kisses with the relaxing sound of the horizon carefully bringing them closer to each other.

" **Together forever**..." Genji replies, slowly reaching her lips for one more quick kiss.

Hanzo could not hold a weak smile with that scene. Even surprised by meeting Genji on the Watchpoint, seeing his happy expression was a conflict of both happiness and sorrow.

The memory of him punching Genji to death in a brutal confront between them was a torture to his mind, especially after seeing how happy he was with that woman. Apparently, Genji finally met his peace and his happiness in the words of an angel.

Hanzo could not share the same feeling, not with the memories of his dark past punishing his heart. He knew he couldn't have the same thing, and after a while, he learned to accept this destiny, carrying his burden alone as he fights to restore his honor in a desperate attempt to put the ghosts of his past to rest.

That moment represented their path as brothers. As Genji embraces the person that helped him heal the wounds from his past, Hanzo remains alone in a desperate hunt for redemption, dealing with the deep scar within his heart.

"Everything will be different now, Angela. For you..."

"For us..."

Then, after hearing the name Angela, Hanzo raises his head and stares at her, immediately recognizing her face, remembering him of his task.

"Genji!" He calls him while taking a step closer.

The wind suddenly becomes colder when Genji and Angela turned to face him.

"Brother...?" Genji stares at Hanzo, immediately standing between him and Angela, like he was somehow protecting her from him.

"Genji... We need to talk."

"Wait..." Angela glares at his eyes. The intensity of her tone surprised Hanzo. "Are you..." She struggles to speak, like she was about to rush at him at any moment. "Are you Hanzo Shimada?!" He senses a strong anger on her question.

"You must be Dr. Angela Ziegler..." Hanzo replies in the same tone. His eyes shift to Genji. "So... it's true. You are with them."

Genji was about to interfere, but Angela courageously grabs her Caduceus Blaster and immediately aims it at Hanzo, who remains still despite having his bow and his arrows, ready to fly at any moment.

"A doctor that carries a gun..." He studies her posture, clearly trained to use a gun despite her being just a simple scientist to him.

"A psycho that tried to kill his own brother..." She replies.

Her words enraged him.

Fearing what was about to happen, Genji slowly looks over his shoulder, staring at Angela's eyes as she continues to aim her gun at Hanzo. He was convicted that Angela would never pull the trigger, but somehow, he could feel a strong anger in her gaze, one that he never saw before.

"Angela..." Genji whispers, trying to calm her down.

"You know nothing of what happened!" Hanzo interrupts him, risking a few steps forward, never looking away from Angela's intimidating gaze. "Who do you think you are to lecture me?!"

"Who am I?! I was the one that saved him after left him to die! What kind of brother are you?! NO, WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!"

"What kind of doctor turns his own patient into a weapon?" Hanzo watches carefully as Angela takes his words. Suddenly, her strong posture faded, apparently shocked by his direct question. "So... it was you, wasn't it? You made him..." He looks at Genji in disgust. "...like this."

"Hanzo." Genji stays on his path with his hand ready to pull the blade if he comes too close.

Challenged by Genji's tone, Hanzo faces his younger brother.

"How can you possibly defend her?! Look at what she did to you! Look at what you've become!"

"She saved my life."

"SHE DESTROYED YOU!"

"YOU THINK I WANTED THIS?!" Angela's loud but sad tone interrupted them. "YOU WEREN'T THERE TO SEE HOW HE WAS! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HEAR HIS SCREAMS! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO HEAL HIS INJURIES! YOU LEFT HIM THERE, BLEEDING TO DEATH! YOU TURNED YOUR BACK TO HIM!"

"How dare you..."

"YOU MADE HIM SUFFER! I..." She feels the gentle touch of Genji's hands on hers, slowly making her lower her gun.

The warm palm of his hand eases her pain within as she fights her memories of when Genji was barely breathing followed by the months after the cybernization process. She couldn't handle those memories of Genji suffering in a bed, unable to get up due to his countless injuries. All because of Hanzo, the person that was supposed to support his brother no matter what.

Those days Angela spent in the lab with Genji were the ones that she could never forget. Their talks, their laughs, and the love growing between them, all moments that made her smile. However, it was in one of those talks when Angela heard about Hanzo, the source of Genji's suffering. She hated Hanzo during all those years, a strong feeling that she never felt in her whole life for anyone else.

"Like I said." Genji looks at Hanzo in an attempt to ease the situation to avoid a new fight while trying to find out the reason behind Hanzo's arrival. He carefully handles that tension, but he would never hesitate to protect Angela, so he keeps his right hand on his blade. "She saved my life."

Genji knew that Hanzo would never accept the whole truth about the cybernization. He couldn't hide the shame because, in the end, it was his decision to sacrifice his body to help Overwatch destroy the Shimada Clan, a choice that Angela refuses to accept even after many years.

As one of the agents from the original Overwatch, Mercy could never deal with the fact that Genji decided something like that alone. They used his anger to make him accept such an absurd offer, almost forcing him to collaborate with Overwatch. But, all could've been different if weren't for Hanzo's actions.

"You..." She faces him with her blood boiling in anger. "You was responsible for all of that."

Hanzo replies with nothing more than a weak silence, because he could not argue with the truth that he tried so much to bury alongside his burden.

Nothing hurt him more than the punches he gave on his own brother. He could still feel the fresh blood on his hands while Genji was lying on cold the floor, fighting to stay conscious. Hanzo just turned his back to him. His duty was concluded.

For years, he had nightmares about that night, especially when the anniversary of Genji's death was about to come.

For years, that date broke his heart, even more when he arrived at his old home to honor Genji's death with nothing more than incense offerings. Every year on the same day, until one night that changed everything. The night when the dragons were reunited once again... Genji was alive.

However, seeing his brother as a half human and half machine was a shock to him. He was determined to hunt the responsible for that. And there he was, face to face with the woman that "saved" Genji. But he couldn't take his revenge against her for what she did to Genji's body, not after seeing them together. But... he couldn't understand why.

"Genji." Unable to understand their connection, Hanzo gazes at his brother. "Why...? After what she did to you..." He hesitates. "After what I did to you... How were you able to forgive all of this...? Why you didn't fight back?"

 _Why you didn't kill me?_

To Hanzo's surprise, Genji replies with a smile as he looks back to Angela, who shared the same quick smile with him.

"I chose not to seek revenge." Genji says Angela's quote that marked his heart.

As they exchange looks, Hanzo remains silent, not knowing what to say in return.

"She did more than just heal my wounds, brother." He continues while holding Angela's hand, still feeling the anger on her skin. "She made me whole. Thanks to her, I could finally find my peace and a good cause to fight for. She and my master are, and will forever be, my saviors. And it's thanks to them that I know that it is not too late to change your course, brother."

"You are mistaken, brother. I am beyond redemption..." His angry tone fades to a weak one, but the idea of Genji living as a machine enraged his heart again. No matter what he heard about Angela's reasons and regrets, he would never forgive what she and Overwatch did with his brother. "You call this a life? Live as a machine? Work for those that turned you into this?!"

"He's much more than just that!" Angela argues. "But you are too blind to see it... like always, apparently."

Just like Hanzo, Angela was unable to forgive his actions against Genji. She embraces the truth that all that suffering was Hanzo's fault.

"I don't need you to understand.'' Genji interferes looking right at Hanzo. "Just know that, if you are here to hurt my family, I'll not allow you to walk away this time."

"Family...?"

"Now, brother... Why are you here?"

* * *

 **(At Somewhere Far Away...)**

"You know..." With his elegant clothes covered by mud and his hands stained with blood, Jiro starts the car's engine and proceeds with his journey. "...it was funny. I mean, you are pretty good." He looks at the empty back seat. "Oh, I forgot." Then, he stares at the car's cup holders close to his seat. "Actually, I used to play just like you, but it never worked out in the end of the day." While keeping his gaze locked on the cup holder, Jiro hears Emily's weak screams from the car trunk storage. "Thank you for doing that. It was nice to remember those days with my brother. Man... I can also remember Mayu's reaction when I first told her about this. She was..." His tone shifts to a sad one in a matter of seconds. "Anyway, to be honest, I prefer this version of you." Alone. Jiro concentrates on the road while still chatting with something inside the cup holders. "Quiet." He grins. "Don't worry my dear, we'll arrive at the Rock Of Gibraltar in just a few hours. I wonder how beautiful the view is from there. Aren't you excited?" He waits for a brief second. "I know I am. Hell, I can't wait to meet your girlfriend. She will make quite a scene when she sees you. Who knows, maybe she will enjoy your new look. But, don't be jealous. I don't have plans for her. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about that purple freak. I would be worried if I were you, she can be a serious competition, if you know what I mean. But, I prefer to stick with my favorite ship, as the kids are calling these days, Genji and the cute Dr. Ziegler. It's a shame that I didn't bring a present. I tried, though. Hanzo's head would definitely cause a good image, don't you think?" The silence remains. "But... now that we are close... what should I do with them? Well... what should I do with HER...? To be honest, my wish was to simply put a bullet on her head. But... I think I'll take my time with Ziegler, since she was the one that brought Genji back in the first place. Whatever happens next, I'll make sure that Genji will watch every second of it... every single second... Just like I was forced to watch my..." He hides his sadness, even knowing that there was no one else in the car. "I just can't wait to see what that **Fallen Angel** is made of." He stares back to the cup holder. "Alright Emily, stop staring at me... Really Emily, stop..." Meanwhile, Emily cries at the car trunk, but Jiro ignores her screams. "Stop looking at me, please."


	13. A2: Chapter 6 - Peace And Quiet

**"A moment to enjoy some peace and quiet..." - Mercy.**

* * *

"Let's recap a bit..." McCree sits at the closest chair at the lab and faces the team with a bottle of beer in hands. "So you're saying that there's an assassin called Jiro that wants to hunt both Genji and Angela?"

"Um... him as well." Tracer quietly corrects McCree as Hanzo stares at the team from one of the lab's corners.

"Who cares about what happens to him?"

"Not now, Jesse." Genji tries to stop him to avoid any possible conflicts between Hanzo and the team, since Hanzo was never a fan of pointless jokes.

"To be honest, I agree with him!" Torbjörn takes their attention, expect for Hanzo that keeps facing the floor with his arms crossed, like he was trying to hold his desire to bury the whole facility at the sea. "Why should we trust him?"

"Why would he lie about something like that?" Brigitte asks.

"Shut up, rookie! Nobody asked your opinion."

"But you ask-..." Before she could reply Torbjörn's rudeness, Tracer touches her shoulder, interrupting her words

"Don't mind him." Lena whispers in her ear. "You'll get used to it."

"Well, not only that..." McCree heads straight to the console and stares at three holograms surrounding the desk. "But we also have to fight Talon as well." He sighs in frustration. "I should've asked for a raise before answering the Recall..."

Genji carefully studies the holograms showing three targets. Before he could ask about them, Winston joins him.

"Reaper. Widowmaker, and Sombra." Winston points at every single one of them. "Terrorists from Talon."

"What is this young girl doing in a group of terrorists?" Reinhardt glares at Sombra's hologram, unable to believe that she was actually part of the organization.

"We don't know." Winston replies with the same question at his mind.

"Maybe she has her own agenda." McCree comments without actually thinking about it.

"Maybe Jiro is one of them?" Tracer suggests.

Genji and Winston stop to think about that possibility.

"He knew about the cybernization process..." Genji murmurs. "But... how?"

"Good question." Winston replies. "Everything we know so far is that they are hunting ex-Overwatch agents. Not only that, but they appear to be trying to cause another major conflict between humans and omnics."

"I see." The news about Mondatta's death quickly flashes through Genji's mind.

"Could that really be the reason behind his assassination?" Zenyatta interferes. "To drown all King's Row into a new war?"

"Whatever they are planning, we'll stop them." Genji promises. "And Angela, don't worry about this Jiro... Angela...?" He turns around searching for her, but immediately realizes that she wasn't there. "Where's she?"

"Dr. Ziegler?" Tracer replies with a short laugh. "She got out ten minutes ago."

"Ten minutes?" Genji thought. "How did I not notice that?"

Seconds after the exhaustive briefing about Talon was over, Hanzo headed straight to the exit, avoiding eye contact with anyone fool enough to stay on his way. He didn't say a word, but the anger hidden behind his silence was explicit, revealing how he hated the fact that he was standing right next to Overwatch's greatest agents, unable to accept what that organization did to his brother. Still, Genji called them his family... Why?

Sensing a strong and deep anger within Hanzo's heart, Zenyatta follows him without fear.

Genji knew exactly what his mentor was planning to do. Not willing to take any chances, he decides to follow them, but when he was about to leave the lab, Tracer's sad tone made him look back. He was shocked by her expression. Never in his life he saw Lena like that.

"What happened?" He asks while approaching her.

"It's Emily..." She whispers in sadness while facing her smartphone's screen.

"No signs of her yet?"

"No... I called everyone I know... Her colleges, our neighbors... I just received a message from her boss, she didn't show up to work today... No one saw her." She lowers her head, wounded by that information. "How is this possible...? Emily would never disappear like that."

"Don't worry, Lena." Winston tries to comfort her. "I'm sure she's okay."

"Winston..." She hesitates. "I'm sorry, but I have to go back to London. I have to..." Interrupting them with his noisy footsteps, Bastion arrives with a small cup of water, friendly offering it to Lena that replies his kindness with a weak giggle.

"Thanks." She slowly grabs the cup, surprised and delighted by Bastion's attitude.

"Whoo-vweeeeee heheheh." Bastion replies.

The whole team approaches Lena in an attempt to help her. Genji was about to do the same, but he couldn't stop worrying about Angela. He knew that if a Shimada assassin was hunting her, she could not stay alone like that. He refuses to ignore the risks, even knowing that Angela was perfectly able to protect herself, but he couldn't take any chances, not after his promise.

With the moonlight guiding his steps, Genji walks through the old facility while hearing the relaxing sound of the waves far away alongside the cold and soft wind in his visor, sending him back to those days when he was fighting to keep breathing, barely able to walk and experience the beauty of the sea around him.

But there was always a silver lining in his suffering.

There was always her taking care of him.

After his little moment of déjà vu, Genji continues his path to Angela's room.

"Why are you following me?!" He hears Hanzo's aggressive voice nearby.

Genji immediately chases his brother's voice, locating Hanzo in one of the platforms with a perfect view of the ocean surrounding the facility. Apparently, he was trying to meditate when Zenyatta approached him.

Hidden in the shadows, Genji watches everything at a safe distance, ready to interfere if necessary.

"I sense within you the same rage that once consumed your brother." Zenyatta faces Hanzo, talking in the same calm tone that Genji learned to respect.

Like what he was expecting, Zenyatta was trying to help Hanzo in the same way that he helped Genji in his journey to find his peace within his heart. The result of their talk was something that Genji could not guess the outcome, only wait for the best.

"We are nothing alike!" Hanzo argues firmly.

"I thought you would say that. In fact, Genji said the exact same words when we talked about you."

"Talked...? Who are you?!"

"Oh, forgive me." Zenyatta extends his hand, not intimidated by the bow in his back. "My name is Zenyatta, Genji's master."

"Mas-Master?!" He asks in an angry tone, refusing to shake hands with the omnic.

At that point, Genji gets ready to rush at his brother, fearing that he would try something against Zenyatta.

"He was like you." Zenyatta persists despite Hanzo's refusal. "Lost in the darkness. Blind by **Rage and Sorrow**..."

"You know nothing about me."

"I know you tried to kill your brother..."

"This is not your..."

"...but I also know about your burden, Hanzo."

Hanzo hostile posture immediately fades after Zenyatta mentioning his name.

He stops to think about those words for a second. Apparently, Mercy was not the only one that saved Genji from the darkness. Zenyatta, an omnic that called himself Genji's master, could be another one of the few lights that guided Genji through his hunt for peace.

After that revelation, Hanzo had mixed feelings about the mysterious mentor.

"I can help you, Hanzo Shimada." Zenyatta breaks the silence between them. "No one is **Too Far Gone.** "

Genji was unable to hide a smile when Zenyatta knelt on the floor close to Hanzo, beginning another one of his classic hours of meditation. Hanzo faces the omnic with a tense expression. He hesitates for a short moment, but the archer turns his back from the omnic.

"You know nothing about me." Hanzo repeats while walking away from Zenyatta, disappearing in the Watchpoint's shadows.

"It is not too late for you, brother..." Genji whispers in a frustrated and follows his path to the Crew's private rooms, leaving his master alone, allowing him to embrace his inner peace in silence.

In his way, he was trying not to get himself lost in his thoughts. Everything happened pretty fast. The Recall, Hanzo, Jiro, and her... Dr. Angela Ziegler. He didn't have time to think about all of that.

Then, he reaches the dark hallway leading to Angela's room.

He faces the door in front if him, not knowing exactly what to say after everything that just happened that day.

"Angela?" He knocks on the door as his voice echoes through the hallway.

"Genji?" The soft sound of her voice was always a relief.

Angela immediately opens the door, facing him with a beautiful smile, one that he missed for years.

"Sorry if I'm bothering you." He says in a shy tone. Judging by her appearance, she was probably trying to sleep when he knocked on her door. "I..."

"No, don't worry about it." She accidentally interrupts him. "But... can I help you, Genji?" She faces him, waiting patiently for his answer.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay, that's all." He grins awkwardly, noticing the role reversal in his words.

Unable to hold it, Angela laughs with the situation, but stop as they suddenly lock eyes.

They share a smile and Genji risks a step closer to her.

"I was worried about you." He whispers. "I know you can protect yourself, Angela. But still, I'll not allow anyone to hurt you. This Jiro will never harm you, never."

"Why makes you think that Hanzo will not be a threat too?"

Genji freezes for a second with such a direct and unexpected question, especially coming from someone like Mercy.

"Angela." He faces her, shocked to spot such an intense anger in her eyes. "He might have done terrible things in the past..." There is a pause as Genji struggles to say the remaining words. "...but he's still my brother, Angela. I cannot abandon him."

Angela remains in silence, sensing Genji's deep sorrow while talking about his brother. After everything that Hanzo did to him, how was he able to forgive him? And if Genji could forgive Hanzo, could she do the same?

At that time, only the silence was her answer. But what she did know by that is how Genji's heart has changed over the last years. The man that were once blind and consumed by his own rage didn't exist anymore.

Sparrow didn't exist anymore.

"Genji..." Angela gazes at his visor. "You..." She sheds a small tear.

"Angela?" His hand gently reaches her cheek, carefully wiping away that single tear with his finger. "What's wrong...?"

"Nothing..." She grins, blushing with his cold touch.

"Hey, you don't need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid, Genji." He notices a small frustration in her tone.

"I know! I just..." He knew that his overprotective side would make Angela angry somehow. Seeing the result, he decides to change the subject, but when he was about to continue, he notices Angela's fixed smile despite her previous words.

"I know what you meant." Angela replies. "Thank you, Genji." She shifts her gaze to her feet.

Genji notices that and gently holds her chin, slowly bringing her eyes back to his. She seems sad as their eyes meet again.

"Angela...?" He carefully whispers, trying to understand the reason behind her sudden change of humor.

"Genji..." She thinks about her question for a quick moment, trying to find the best way to proceed. "Could you take off your visor, please...?"

He blushes with her wish, facing her eyes as she waits for him to reveal his face.

"Sure."

He obeys, slowly taking the visor from his face, immediately feeling the heat of her approach. With his face revealed, Angela gently holds his neck while pressing her nose against his. When the silence took over the room, their lips were finally together after one soft move. Genji embraces her, feeling the soft pressure of her body against his chest. Angela wraps her arms around his neck, doing her best to keep her breath in check, not allowing that moment to end so soon. The heat of his mouth warmed her entire body combined with the gentle touch of his fingers caressing her hair that sent her heart ablaze, emotions and pleasures long forgotten by the lonely doctor.

In the heat of the moment, Angela begins to take a few steps closer to the bed as she continues to play with his tongue. Determined to follow her lead, Genji closes the door behind him, allow Angela's slow steps to guide him all the way to her bed.

She brings Genji's face with her as she slowly lies on the blanket, watching him lying against her body as their lips refuse to break free from the passionate kiss.

She could feel his knees pressing against hers, fighting for space on that tiny bed, Forcing them to stay as close as possible, just what they wanted on that cold night.

Then, their lips were separated by the lack of oxygen. They share a laugh when they see each other's cheeks blushing after one of the longest kisses they ever had together.

"Genji." She whispers his name, feeling his hand searching hers, pressing the warm palm of her hand on his face covered by scars. "What you said back there... **Together Forever**..."

"Would you like it...?" He asks, insecure about her upcoming answer.

"If I would like it...? I would LOVE IT!"

Then, she hugs his chest with all her remaining strengths, embracing the moment she waited so many years for, one that she believed to be impossible to experience again. But there she was, resting her cheek on his shoulder, wrapping one of her legs around his, closing her eyes while hearing the soft sound of them sharing the same air.

"I will always be with you, Dr. Ziegler." Genji covers both their bodies with the cold blanket, only turning the heat of their skin more attractive and relaxing. "Always..." He repeats, embracing Angela in a tight and warm hug. Nothing better in a cold and silent night. "No matter what happens... I will never leave you alone... not again..."

"Don't..." Her face rests on his chest, feeling his heart suffering with his memories from their last night together.

"I cannot lose you again, Angela..." Genji closes his eyes, easing his pain in the smooth surface of her cheek. "I... can't..." His eyes reveal his fear of losing her, fear that he was the main reason why the Shimada Clan was hunting her, fear that his enemies would go after Angela to punish him for what he did to his old clan, and he would never forgive himself if something like that happened to her. Jiro Shimada... Thanks to that name, Genji was unable to sleep, knowing that, while he was breathing, Angela would never be safe.

Angela notices Genji's hands shaking on her back. She raises her head from his shoulder, staring at his worried expression combined with the intense gaze of his eyes.

"Genji..." She embraces his head, gently resting his forehead against hers. "...you still owe me a date."

With just a few words, Angela broke the tension surrounding them, making a short laugh escapes Genji's mouth. Like always, her words were always able to make his sorrow vanish in a blink of an eye.

"Anything for you, Dr. Ziegler..." He grins as Angela slowly approaches him, relaxing his soul with the gentle heat of her lips.

* * *

 **"...probably just a moment though."**

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"Where... is... he...?" Reaper breaks the painful silence, staring at the floor of that small and dark ship.

The only sound around him was some of Talon's soldiers talking outside. They were also being tortured by the same silence, waiting for Jiro's arrival.

With the ship's hatch open, Reyes gazes at the facility far away. As the sun begins to rise from the darkness, his objective becomes more clear. If Sombra's intel was correct, the whole Overwatch team was already reunited at the old Watchpoint, turning every second of waiting into a torture.

"He's going to ruin the plan." Widowmaker joins Reaper with her sniper rifle at hands, just waiting for the right time to use it.

"We should attack right now." His frustration was explicit in his sinister and angry tone. "We have the family already. We don't need another hostage."

"The more guarantees we have, the easier will be to defeat them." The atmosphere around them becomes heavier as she continues to speak, showing no signs of feelings in her voice. "Remember our objective."

Reaper doesn't argue with that, but he could not get his finger off the trigger while staring at the facility.

"Hey, guys." Sombra arrives at the ship, staring both Reaper and Widowmaker from outside. "Oh..." She grins with the scene. "Am I interrupting something?" Her annoying laugh enrages them.

"What is it, Sombra...?" Reaper asks.

"Jiro arrived."

Reaper and Widowmaker share a look and follow Sombra, getting out of the ship and facing the huge amount of soldiers and weapons around them. Snipers with thermal scopes, pilots ready to attack the Watchpoint right away, and a small squad of infiltration formed by divers armed with tactical assault rifles. All of them ready for the battle that was about to start.

"Gabe!" Closing the car's door behind him, Jiro greets the team with his arms open, revealing his clothes covered in mud and blood.

"What the..." Sombra immediately gets away from him, not handling the smell coming from his body and his car.

"Ah, come on!" Jiro stares at Sombra walking away from the group. "Not even a hug?!"

"Where is the girl?" Reaper ignores Jiro's conditions and goes straight to what really mattered at that time.

"Oh, you mean Emily?" He grins. "It depends."

"It depends...?"

"Let's say that one part of her is on the cup holders and the other part is in the trunk. Because, you know... I wanted to..."

"Get out of my way, Jiro."

With Widowmaker right at his side, Reaper opens the car's trunk, revealing Emily's motionless body lying in a pool of blood. Most of the soldiers near the car were unable to handle the strong smell coming from the trunk, but Reaper and Widowmaker both remained still.

"Jiro..." About to smash his head in one of the car's windows, Reaper stares at Jiro's sarcastic smile. "What did you do to her?! We needed her alive!"

"But she is." He replies. "I mean... I think she is."

When Reaper was about to rush at Jiro, they hear a weak whisper coming from the car's trunk.

"He-Help... please..." The sunlight reveals the recent bruises all over Emily's face, unable to fully open her eye due to the shocking amount of wounds on her head.

"We are ready then." Widowmaker heads back to the group.

"Finally..." With the wind blowing gently against her hair, Sombra stares at the horizon, ready for the ambush. "I'm guessing there's no chance we can take care of this quietly, is there?"

"No way!" Jiro happily says while staring at the facility far away. He takes a deep breath, enjoying his last hours of fresh air before the battle. "Now..."

* * *

 **"...let's teach them fear." - Jiro Shimada in Act 2 Finale - Of Their Own Accord.**


	14. Act 2 Finale - Of Their Own Accord

**"Good morning... something that always made me smile in response. How those moments were special to me... precious seconds of a life that I never had among the chaos of the war. It took me years to realize that I missed those simple words, those simples moments where I could close my eyes and forgot the world around me while resting my head at your shoulder without the need to worry about a thing..." - Dr. Angela Ziegler.**

* * *

 _ **"Together forever."**_

With Genji's quote still fresh in her mind, Angela calmly wakes up from one of the best dreams she had in years.

It was an indescribable relief to open her eyes in that lovely morning, a relief to see him at her side again. Everything around her seems calmer, just like on her dream.

There was a place, a warm and quiet house far away from the rest of the world. A place where all the mornings were like just like that, with the same happiness of waking up hearing Genji breathing softly at her side, with the gentle and delicate heat of his fingers caressing her skin, warming it with every touch.

It was hard to not think about his quote, of a possibility that, somewhere far away, they could live together. Away from wars, away from pointless conflicts between humans and omnics, away from Talon, away from the Shimada Clan. Just them in a warm, quiet and gentle place.

A dream just out of reach.

Her smile fades as she immediately realizes that her dream was nothing more than just that. A dream, an illusion of hope.

Sadly, she stares at his face. Even sleeping, he seems happy and relaxed with her presence. Apparently, they were sharing the same dream.

"Genji..." Her hand slowly meets his cheek, feeling the happiness in his face while he sleeps.

In a quiet and quick approach, Angela kisses his cheek and lays her forehead on his chest, hearing his heart beating softly as she closes her eyes in an attempt to go back to that place with him, even if it was only for just a few, yet precious seconds. She wanted to experience again a world without chaos.

A world where Overwatch was no longer needed.

"Angela...?" Genji's eyes fly open in the darkness as he feels the soft pressure of Angela's face against his chest.

"Sorry, Genji." With a shy smile, her eyes lock on his.

"Hey..." He wraps his arms around her, holding her closer to his. "Don't worry about it." He grins. "Good morning, Angela."

She replies with a smile as she snuggles even closer to him.

"Good morning, Genji." She whispers those words with so much happiness in her tone.

He nuzzles his face against her hair, embracing those silent seconds with her before meeting with the rest of the team.

"Thank you, Angela." He whispers while caressing her hair. "Thank you for making me whole again."

She blushes in return, feeling his lips gently kissing her forehead.

"I dreamed with you." Angela raises her head, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Oh..." He seems tense after hearing her words, not exactly knowing how to reply.

However, Angela's smile immediately calms his heart, like it always did before. With his eyes locked on hers, he kindly waits for her to continue.

"We were together." She reveals while feeling the heat of his fingers gently playing with her hair. "We had a beautiful house at somewhere calm and warm. A place where, in all the mornings, we woke up with the birds singing at our window." While describing her dream, Angela felt the exact same emotions. A strange, but still, relaxing feeling that she could not tell if it was real, or just an illusion. "We watched the sunrise through it, warming our skins always in the same hour. We had breakfast, we had lunch and dinner together, finishing our day lying on the sofa watching a movie with a cold blanket covering us." She smiles after remembering a funny detail about her dream. "Ha, you slept in every single one of them."

"Well, that sounds like me, I guess." They share a quick laugh. "But..." He brings her chin closer to his affectionately. "...this sounds so... perfect, Angela. A life with you... What else could I want?"

Angela was unable to hide the red glow that came over her face after hearing Genji's kind words. A strong sense of happiness brought her even closer to his arms, but at same time, a sad frustration punishes her heart in return, slowly making her smile fade.

"It would be nice if we could do that." She says, but Genji immediately notices small sadness in her tone. "But..." She closes her eyes and buries her face against Genji's shoulder. "...we can't, Genji."

"Of course we can." He persists "I know that you'll keep fighting to help those in need, that you'll never give up to make this world a better place. But... Angela... One day all of this will be over." Then, she opens her eyes, facing him while feeling his hand gently caressing her neck. "We will stop Talon, we will stop this Omnic Crisis, and we will stop Jiro. And then, we'll be free to live together in somewhere far away from all of this."

"No, Genji." She replies in a weak tone.

She wanted to believe in his words, she really wanted to. Being in a peaceful place with Genji at her side was a dream coming true. But she couldn't ignore the reality and the fact that, no matter how hard Overwatch tries to stop the multiple conflicts around the world, there would be always another fight, another conflict, another war. In the end, no matter their efforts, there will be always victims, and she was the one to watch over them.

"We will not have to fight forever." Genji holds her hand between them while gazing at her eyes. "But..." He leans his forehead against hers. "...no matter how long it takes, Angela. I know that this will come. And no matter where we will go next." He faces her. "I'll always be with you. I-" He stops as Angela begins to wrap her arms around his neck.

And then, there is a kiss, a slowly and passionate one, warming that lovely morning.

Genji's fingers closed in her hair, squeezing her tightly in his arms, feeling the softness of her skin making his heart skip a beat.

In one simple minute to make all the doubts go away. A couple of seconds where nothing else mattered, only the soft touch of their lips meeting above the cold blanket to make the whole world stop around them.

"We should go back." Angela slowly breaks free from his lips, holding her desire to stay in his arms.

"Yes... We have a world to save." Genji grins. "Let's go, my angel."

It didn't take long for them to get up from the cozy bed. What a torture it was to end that moment.

* * *

 **(Meanwhile...)**

"Talon One, this is Talon Two. We are ready to engage."

Waking up in total darkness, Emily opens her eye, unable to see what was going on. Her face was covered by a dark bag, slowly suffocating her.

"Oh, sorry!" She hears Jiro's voice at her left side. She feels his hand approaching her face.

In one fast movement, Jiro takes off the bag from her head, watching as she desperately recovers some air. She coughs and almost collapses on her seat. Her body was extremely cold and she could not feel her legs or her fingers.

"Stand by, Talon Two." A soldier sitting next to her answers the radio.

"Where... am I...?" Emily makes a huge effort to speak, struggling to move any part of her body without being punished by the massive pain. Everything she could do was hear the helicopter's propeller torturing her ears.

"Don't worry, my dear." Jiro gently caresses her cheek. "We are going to pay your beautiful girlfriend a visit."

"Don't touch me..." Her hands were tied behind her back, making it impossible to fight his approach.

"It's a shame that they covered up your beauty..." His fingers reach a bandage wrapped around Emily's head, hiding one of her eyes. "You should be grateful to them. They saved your life in the end."

"¿Qué demonios te pasa...?" Then, Emily faces Sombra, who was sitting right in front of her.

"What's the matter?" Jiro gets away from Emily and stares Sombra's face. "You are not used to this kind of stuff, are you?"

"I'm not in the mood, Jiro."

"Can I ask you something?"

"No."

"Who are you, exactly? I mean, I'm glad we are working together and all..."

"Really? Because I don't."

"...but you are clearly not like them. Not like Reaper, not like Widowmaker, and definitely not like this bunch of jarheads." The squad of armed soldiers glares at Jiro, who replies with a charming grin. "No offense, friends." His eyes returns to Sombra's. "Come on, I hate secrets and you know that." He wraps his left arm around Emily's shoulder, bringing her closer as she looks away. "Everybody wants to know, Sombra. So... who are you? DedSec? Anonymous? Chaos Computer Club?"

He waits patiently for her answer, but deals with the silence instead.

"Because let me tell you, Sombra or... whatever your name is. You can pretend all you want, but you don't fool me. I'll be honest, I was surprised when I heard that it was you that located that poor kid. Jimmy, isn't it?" He tries to read her expression, determined to find any sort of regret or hesitation in her face, but there was none. "His family, Jane, and Adam..." He persists, but Sombra remains still. "I know your type, Sombra. You may look like one, but I know you are not a killer, much less a terrorist. You are a soldier, fighting your own war by playing other's rules to accomplish your goal, no matter what happens or who gets hurt in the process. Admirable... but dangerous..."

"I don't want your advice, Jiro." Her tone remains the same despite everything that he just said.

"But this is exactly what I'm going to give you, my friend. Whatever your goal is by walking among monsters, give up and walk away or you will be ending up like them." He grins. "Do you know the tale of Icarus, Sombra? The man that was determined to reach the freedom of the sky with his pair of wings? He flew so high that his wings, his only passage for absolute freedom, was melted by the sun, making him met his end at the bottom of the ocean. I see the same desire within you, Sombra. Icarus's desire for freedom is the same desire that you decided to embrace in order to reach your goal. The wings are your augmentations. But... soon... your greed will be your fall. And then, the ocean will be your darkness. And then... there will be nothing left of you..." There is a pause, like he was dealing with the impact of his own words. "This life... is not for you. Think about it, my friend."

"Talon teams, we are ready." The radio interrupts them.

"Copy that." They hear Reaper through the radio. "Remember the plan. Sombra and Jiro... you know what to do."

"Now that I was starting to have some fun." Jiro steps away from Sombra and gazes at the facility far away. "Alright..." He grabs Emily's phone from his pocket. "...let's begin."

* * *

 **(At the Watchpoint)**

It was still very early when Angela and Genji arrived at the lab. Only a few agents were there, like they didn't sleep at all during the night previous night.

Winston was focused on his computer, studying the data he had about Talon and their members. Tracer was right at his side, but she couldn't look away from her smartphone's screen, waiting for Emily to call her back.

"Lena...?" Angela approaches her, noticing a deep sadness on Lena's face. She was clearly in shock, unable to stop thinking about that situation. Judging by her eyes, she was not able to sleep, not with Emily's silence torturing her heart.

"She didn't call..." Lena sadly murmurs. "I have to go back to London... I have to find her..."

"Hey..." Angela slowly embraces her, feeling Lena's hands trembling in despair. "She is fine, Lena. I know she is." She faces her with a hopeful smile. "We'll find her, alright?"

While Angela tries to comfort Lena, Genji goes to the large table in the middle of the room where McCree, barely able to keep his eyes open, stares the ceiling with an empty bottle of beer on his hand. They were cards scattered around the table. Apparently, the team had some sort of celebration after he left the lab last night.

"Want some?" Jesse offers him the bottle, just to realize that is was empty. "Sorry, my friend. I will save one for you next time."

"I don't drink." He examines the table behind McCree, noticing a huge amount of cards on it. "Sounds like you were having fun."

"Yeah... you could say that." His gaze shifts to Angela and Lena. "You know what this means, right?" Jesse whispers, knowing that Lena would not be pleased with their conversation.

"We don't know nothing yet." Genji replies in the same tone. "It could be anything. Whatever it is, we'll find her."

"Don't play the optimist guy now, Genji." He grabs a lighter from his pocket. "These guys that we are dealing with, Talon... I met them before, and they are not the type of taking prisoners."

"What are you talking about?"

"You heard me, Genji." Jesse lights a cigarette, watching as the smoke takes over the air around him. "Do you remember how we handled things in Blackwatch? Do you remember my playbook?"

"Don't you dare talk about this, Jesse. I'm no longer like that!"

"Do you remember how we captured Sheng?" Jesse continues despite Genji's reaction. "We captured one of his men first. Forced him to surrender and we took care of the rest while they were vulnerable. I bet you heard the news about that hypertrain. Talon's soldiers tried to take control of the damn thing. I was there and I saw them using Blackwatch's tactics, Genji. And guess who took the blame?"

"What this has to do with Emily, McCree...?"

"You know the answer." He throws the cigarette away, smashing it with his boot. "If they are the ones that kidnapped Emily, they will-" Jesse stops, noticing that Lena was right in front of him, hearing every single one of his words.

"You are wrong." In a cold and direct tone, Lena replies. "You are wrong!"

"Lena... I didn't mean to..."

"We will find..." Suddenly, Lena starts to feel her smartphone buzzing in her hand.

She sees the contact. It was Emily.

"Emily?!" Without thinking twice, Lena answers the call. "Emily!"

"See?" Angela grins, relieved to see Lena's happiness back to her eyes. "I knew she was okay."

"Hello, Lena." A soft and gentle voice echoes through the phone, enough to make Lena's body freeze in surprise. "It's a pleasure to finally hear your voice."

"Wait... Who are you?!" She desperately asks. "WHERE IS EMILY?!"

Angela and Genji share a tense look.

"Don't worry about your lovely partner, lady Oxton." The man replies. "Wow... she is so beautiful when she is angry..."

"If you hurt her..."

"Yeah, I know. Can we skip this part?"

"Who are you?!"

"You can call me Jiro, my dear. Jiro Shimada."

"Jiro..." Angela whispers that name. The assassin that Hanzo spoke of.

They stay silent after discovering that he was the one responsible for that. Genji could not hide his rage after realizing that McCree, unfortunately, was right.

"Lena?" Jiro's voice breaks the silence. "Are you still there?"

"Please... Don't... don't hurt her...! She has nothing to do with this!"

"Actually, you are right. She is just a means to an end. Just like you, my dear. You see, I don't want to hurt you. In fact, you are not on my list. So... would kindly call the lovely Dr. Ziegler and her beloved puppet known as Genji? Don't take too long, though. I'm not exactly the patient type."

Taken by despair, Lena glances at Angela with a devastated look.

"This is a bad idea." Jesse warns her as she grabs the phone.

With Emily's life at risk, Angela ignores Jesse's warning and holds the phone to her ear. Genji stands right next to her.

"I'm here." Angela says.

"So that is how it feels like to hear an angel's voice." Angela hears him chuckling. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Ziegler. Now... where is my old friend? You know, the one that is responsible for all this mess."

Enraged by that, Genji gets ready to answer him, but Angela presses her hand against his chest in an attempt to stop him. Her priority was to make sure that Emily would get out of that situation without a scratch. She could not imagine how Lena would react if Jiro tried something against her, so Angela decides to play by his rules, always trying to keep a calm posture while talking to him on that phone.

"Judging by your silence, I believe that he's listing too. What a lovely chat this is."

"Where is Emily?"

"How does it feels, Ziegler? Knowing that your next actions will decide who lives and who dies today? How does it feels to have someone's life in the palm of your hands? Intense, isn't it?"

"Where is she...?"

"Close, my dear. Very close."

"GUYS!" Reinhardt arrives at the lab alongside Brigitte and Zenyatta. "We have company!"

"This can't be happening..." Winston stays behind, facing his monitor without knowing what to do. "Athena..." He hesitates. "...initiate the transmission."

Meanwhile, the team joins Reinhardt outside. He points to the horizon, sighting a group of helicopters approaching the facility.

"He is here..." Hanzo arrives, staring at the helicopters with his blood boiling in anger, knowing that Jiro was probably watching him from above.

"You..." Lena closes her hands in anger when she notices Hanzo. "YOU BROUGHT THEM HERE, DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Lena!" Stopping her from engaging Hanzo, Genji blocks her path with his arm trying to keep her away.

"I have nothing to do with this." Hanzo replies, lacking any sort of fear against Lena's sudden approach.

"Wait a second..." Jiro immediately recognizes the man behind that voice. "Hanzo?! Is that you, pal?!"

Sharing a sharp look, Genji faces his brother while reflecting about Jiro's words, refusing to believe that Hanzo was somehow involved in any of that. A dark doubt haunts his mind, slowly forcing Genji's hand to meet his sword's hilt, but he hesitates to pull it out of the scabbard.

In response, Hanzo remains still with his bow at hands, ready to defend himself if necessary.

However, Angela steps closer to Genji and holds his arm.

"He warn us about Jiro." Angela, surprising everyone around her, defends Hanzo. "If he's telling the truth..." She turns to face Hanzo with an intense gaze, almost turning into an intimidating one. "...then he will help us." Those words escape her as she lowers her face in shame, refusing to go any further due to her intense rage against his actions.

Hanzo simply nods to her, but doesn't show any sort of appreciation for her support, sharing the same hatred present within her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?!" Torbjörn sees the helicopters getting ready to land in the facility and yells at Bastion, who immediately turns into his sentry mode. "Get ready to shot them!"

"NO!" Tracer desperately screams and stands in front of Bastion's aim.

"WHY NOT?!"

"THEY GOT EMILY! YOU WILL KILL HER!"

"Looks like someone is panicking out there, Dr. Ziegler." Jiro giggles with Lena's despair.

They immediately see themselves surrounded as three helicopters that started to land on the Watchpoint, leaving only one behind providing a clear view of the facility.

Angela and Genji both stares at the helicopter that landed just a few steps away from them while the other two remain in the air close to the ground, allowing Talon's squads to quickly corner the team against the lab's entrance behind them.

"Like I said, Genji." Jesse could not hide a feeling of déjà vu when noticing Talon's tactics."Using Blackwatch's playbook... my playbook..." Embracing the opportunity before Talon's soldiers to get in position, he walks back to the lab.

"Where are you going?!" Genji tries to stop him.

"High ground, my friend. High ground."

"Don't even think about it..."

"Keep your head down and wait for my signal, Genji."

"JESSE!"

But it was too late. McCree climbed the starts heading upstairs. Taking cover behind Winston's desk, he quickly studies the location through the large window, marking every spot that Talon's soldiers would possibly take advantage of. He knew what it was coming, and he was determined to stop an upcoming bloodshed.

"And here we go again..." He faces his gun, the classic Peacekeeper, just waiting for Talon's arrival and the right moment to unleash the counter-attack. Meanwhile, Winston continues to speak with his eyes on the monitor, but Jesse couldn't shift his focus to the situation, not with his friend's lives in danger.

"Um... Reinhardt?" Brigitte stares at her surroundings, unable to count how many soldiers were surrounding them. "Any ideas? Because I didn't come this far to get killed on my first day of work."

"Stay together." He whispers.

"Talon One, we got eyes on the targets." A squad leader raises his hand.

After his command, the soldiers were allowed to aim their weapons at the Overwatch agents that immediately replies by regrouping on the lab's entrance behind Reinhardt's shield. With their weapons at hand, they stare at the units around them, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to fight back.

"Wait..." Genji whispers to the team, knowing that McCree was about to turn the tie with his Peacekeeper. "Give him some time..." Genji feels Angela's back pressing against his. He slowly searches her hand, gently holding it, trying to make her calmer by showing that he was right at her side. "Don't worry, Angela." He whispers, but never faces away from the soldiers surrounding them. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Aww..." Staring at the Overwatch team cornered without a way out, Jiro steps out of the helicopter that landed next to Overwatch's communication towers, giving him a perfect view of everything around him, especially his two main targets, Genji and Angela. "...how cute." He immediately notices Hanzo among the team and his gaze shifts constantly between the Shimada brothers. "No hard feelings between you two?" He sighs in frustration. "Alright then, looks like I will have to deal with Sojiro's favorite pets myself."

"How you dare..." Hanzo grumbles.

"Jiro..." Lena stares at the assassin. "WHERE IS EMILY?!"

"Oh, sure." He looks back to the helicopter behind him and extends his hand. "Come on, my dear. Don't be shy."

Then, Lena and the team notice Emily getting out of the helicopter, barely able to walk and with a bandage covering her left eye. It was an indescribable shock to Lena, a deep pain punishing her heart as she watches Emily's suffering as she tries to reach Jiro.

"No..." Lena immediately sees the multiple bruises on Emily's face. Her rage was slowly being replaced by a torturing sorrow that froze her entire body. "No, no, no... Emily...!"

"Lena..." Emily stares tearfully at Lena's eyes. "Don't..." Unable to handle her own legs, Emily collapses before Jiro's feet, who glares at Lena's shocked expression while a smile.

"She was a very nice company..." Jiro kneels close to Emily and begins to caress her hair. "We had so much fun together."

"KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Blind by rage, Lena aims her pulse pistols at Jiro, about to rush right at the platform to take him down.

"Just remember one thing, Tracer!" Jiro gets up and pulls one of his blades from his scabbard and starts pressing the sharp point against Emily's cheek.

"NO! PLEASE!"

"You may have this... whatever that is in your chest." Jiro grabs his second blade and points it at Tracer's chronal accelerator. "Nice toy, I'll admit. However, it will not help you now. You see..." He shifts his gaze to Emily's cheek, cutting it softly, making her cry out in pain. "...this is not personal. At least, not against you. So, please, don't make me kill her. I could cut her head right now and we would still be in advantage." Then, he throws Emily's smartphone to Lena, revealing the photo that she sent her when she met her old teammates and a friendly young kid named Jimmy alongside his parents. "Did you ever hear the quote: The more connections you have, the easier will be to break you?" He shifts his gaze to the helicopter flying behind him. Lena does the same, immediately noticing Widowmaker through her sniper rifle while a Talon's soldier grabs Jimmy's coat and raises him. "Just to show you that I'm serious, Lena." Jiro returns his gaze to the agents. "I know you guys are more than capable of wiping out these cheap soldiers. But, in doing that, someone is going to die." He grins at Lena." Sure you can at least save Emily by shooting me, but you know what that purple freak is capable of. At least, I don't doubt that she would blow the kid's skull in front of his parents just to get you guys in line. Either way, someone dies, no matter what happens. So tell me, Tracer and all the rest. Do you want to live with that blood on your hands?"

"Jiro!" Angela interrupts him and steps towards the assassin, passing through Reinhardt's shield without fear. "Let them go."

"Angela!" Genji follows her.

Jiro glares at them, stepping away from Emily.

"Dr. Angela Ziegler..." Jiro jumps from the platform and walks in Angela's direction with a terrifying smile. "...and Genji Shimada."

Genji stays between them, ready to pull his sword if Jiro gets too close.

"Get out of the way, Genji..." McCree sees the perfect opportunity to shot and Jiro and the soldiers around Emily, giving his team a way to fight back. He couldn't hear a word that they were saying outside, not knowing that Widowmaker had Jimmy with her.

He decides to take the risk, hoping that Genji would easily take care of Jiro. He begins to select his targets. Six bullets for six of Talon's soldiers.

"I'm counting on you, agents." Winston faces his monitor. "We need you all... the world needs new hero-..." Winston sees a familiar dark shadow about to strike McCree from behind. "JESSE!"

"Stay down or your friends die." Sombra reveals herself on Winston's left side pointing a gun to his head.

McCree turns around to help Winston, but is received with a barrel of a shotgun pressed against his chest.

"Predictable as always, McCree." Reaper pulls the trigger.

The sound of a gunshot echoes throughout the Watchpoint.

Got by surprise with the familiar sound, Angela immediately turns around, watching as Jesse's body breaks through the lab's window in a blink of an eye. She tries to save him from the fall.

A pointless effort. The only thing she could do was hear Jesse's bones snapping after the strong impact.

"JESSE!" Angela desperately screams his name, activating her Caduceus Staff on the same second to heal him.

"Don't you even think about that, doc." Reaper rises from his shadow, blocking Angela's path and pointing his gun at her forehead while McCree lies on the floor behind him, choking with his own blood.

"NO!" Genji quickly pulls his sword and rushes at Reaper, only to be forced to parry Jiro's blades that were just a few centimeters away from reaching his throat.

Genji steps back and faces the assassin standing in his away.

Hanzo decides to take one of his arrows to help his brother, but is immediately stopped by the sound of a bullet hitting the wall right next to his ear. He searches the sniper, glaring at Widowmaker watching the whole situation from her helicopter. The shot felt more like a warning, a reminder that she was capable of killing not only his brother when he was off guard, but Emily as well. And Tracer notices that.

"STOP!" Facing the harsh reality that Emily's life was completely in Talon's hands, Tracer desperately screams to the heavens, begging for them to stop fighting in a desperate attempt to save Emily's life. "PLEASE!"

"You better listen to your friend, Genji." Jiro stares deeply into his eyes. "You don't want to have Emily's and the kid's blood in your hands. Am I right... Sparrow?"

"I'll kill you..."

"Not today, my friend... Not today."

"Let me heal him." Genji hears Angela's voice behind Jiro while she keeps staring at the stranger pressing his gun against her head. "I will go with you, I promise... But please... let me heal him."

"Drop your weapon." Reaper orders. "All of you."

The team hesitates, but Reyes brutally steps on Jesse's wounded chest, who desperately screams in pain.

"NOW!"

"Okay!" With her hands shaking of fear, Angela drops her pistol, but keeps the staff.

Facing that there was no other way, the agents obeys Reaper's order. In less than a minute, the only ones holding their weapons were Genji and Hanzo.

"Tell them to drop their weapons before I put him out of his misery, doc."

Defeated by his threat, Angela stares sadly at Genji behind her shoulder.

"Genji..."

"We will get through this, Angela." Genji drops his blade. "I promise." He nods at his brother, forcing Hanzo to lower his bow.

With Reaper out of the way, Angela activates the Caduceus Staff, slowly healing Jesse's critical wounds.

"Don't worry, doc." Reaper moves closer to Mercy. "Soon you will learn that there are some fates worse than death." After his words, Reyes violently strikes Angela's neck with his shotgun, watching silently as she collapses on the floor before him.

* * *

 **"Good morning, Dr. Ziegler." - Reyes in A3: Chapter 1 - Fallen Angel.**


	15. A3: Chapter 1 - Fallen Angel

**(Act 3 - Through Blood And Tears)**

 **"I was ready to deal with anything. The sting, the pain, the burn under my skin... But I was not ready to handle the lost, the loneliness, the emptiness, and the memories of the ones I loved suffering in my place." - Genji Shimada.**

 **"When you know what your enemy love, you know how to break him." - Jiro Shimada.**

* * *

"Angela! Angela!"

A massive headache stops her from replying his desperate words. Her entire body was so cold that she couldn't feel her legs, her arms, and even her fingers, only the tight chains attached to the ceiling restraining both her hands above her head, stretching her body with her feet barely touching the floor.

"Genji..." Her whisper is weak and fragile, revealing the pain hidden within her hoarse voice.

"Just stay calm, okay?" With her eyes sealed by the pain, Angela focuses entirely on Genji's voice, feeling a terrible shiver throughout her skin after sensing the despair present in his tone. "I will get you out of here, Angela. Just..." He pauses, revealing the feeling of defeat punishing his heart just by seeing how Angela was suffering without being able to help her. "...hold on. I will get us out here." He repeats like he was trying to convince himself that there was a way out. Felt more like a failed attempt to resurrect her hope.

She had to see him, see all the others, know if they were okay. The last memory of the team surrounded by Talon's soldiers was haunting her. It doesn't matter how, she only knew that she had to see them.

It was her strong instinct born by the desire to help others that gave her the strengths to open her eyes. But as her vision slowly adjust, the harsh reality is revealed. All her friends locked up in separate cells, a hollow cube of walls made of stainless steel surrounding them. Through a tiny window in the door, they could see their partners, sharing the same suffering, the same lack of light. The same lack of hope.

Apparently, whoever designed those cells wanted it's prisoners to watch and listen to the screams and the tears of the ones locked in the same dark room.

Angela was the only one that was not confined in a cell. The reason behind that was unclear and was far from her head at the moment.

There was nothing she could do, only watch as her friends and colleagues try everything they could to break free, but all their efforts resulted in more despair as they realize that it was all for nothing. Not even Reinhardt nor Winston were able to do any damage against their personal cells.

"BASTARDS!" Reinhardt's angry scream catches Angela's ears by surprise. "COWARDS! I'LL FIGHT ALL OF YOU!"

"Reinhardt, chill out a little." Locked in a different cell beside him, Brigitte kindly interferes.

"Not now, Brigitte! I'm so close now! Any luck, Winston?!"

"No..." He replies with notable signs of weariness, revealing that he was trying to break that door since the moment they were locked down. "There has to be some way."

"Come on you two!" Torbjörn's arrogant voice interrupts. "Don't tell me you guys are tired!"

"Please, my friends." Noticing the tension growing, Zenyatta chooses his calmer tone to ease the desperate situation. "Let's just calm down. We are scaring the poor Jimmy."

"Jimmy...?" Angela immediately raises her head, refusing to believe in the first thing that came to her head when she heard that name.

Sadly, it was true.

Jimmy, the cute and innocent kid that she met at Gibraltar had his own cell with his parents, the kind mother Jane and his captivating father, Adam, the omnic that Genji saved during his journey to answer the Recall.

"Shh... don't worry, honey..." With her son at her arms, Jane feels Jimmy's tears dripping through her shoulder, forcing a fake smile to hide her efforts to contain her own tears.

"No..." Angela whispers, heartbroken with the scene of innocents being involved in that nightmare. "No, no, no...!"

They had nothing to do with any of that, they were just a family trying to repay what Genji did for them, a mother fulfilling her son's wish to met his heroes, but even that was enough for them to get involved.

Enraged by Talon's cruelty, Mercy refused to simply wait and watch that. The impact of those words lends her strengths to resist, to fight back somehow.

She tries to make her hands as small as possible in hope of slipping out of the chains. At that point, she had to try everything she could to save her team and Jimmy's family. It was either that or wait until something bad happens to them, something that she could not allow. Their lives were depending entirely on her, and she refused to let them down.

"Come on, love..." Lena watches silently Angela's struggle to escape the chains, giving her hope that there was still a chance. "You can do it... I know you can... You have to..."

Tracer refused to accept that destiny. She didn't want her life to end on a cold and silent cell. She had hope, something that slowly begins to fade after some minutes of Angela's failed attempts to break free.

"Lena..." A weak whisper calls Lena from the dark corner of her cell.

"Hey, there..." With Emily's eyes opening in total darkness, Lena immediately reaches her face, terrified by how cold Emily's cheeks were. "Shh... I'm here with you..." The palm of her hands meet the bruises present throughout Emily's pale face as well as the bandage covering her left eye. Lena wanted to explode in anger just by looking at what Jiro did with Emily. Not only he kidnapped her, but he also tortured her.

All those bruises and scars were now part of Lena's heart as if she was the one that suffered such a coward brutally.

"You're going to be okay, Emily... Don't worry, alright? Everything is going to be okay." She caresses her hair while Emily rests her head against her shoulder.

Despite her anger, Lena tries to keep a calm and peaceful tone to ease Emily's fear.

"Think about something else... Think about... our home! Yes, our home! When we get out of here, we will go back to London together. We will go back to our apartment! We will share some chocolates, your favorites! Like I promise you I..." There is a pause as the memory of the promise she made to Emily before answering the Recall flashes through her mind, like a knife cutting through her heart, deeply and slowly. "I... I should've stayed... I should've stayed with you..." She stops as Emily begins to cough on her shoulder. "Easy, love..." Her gaze returns to Angela struggling with the chains. "We will get out of here... we will..."

When Angela appeared to be about to escape, the door on the end of the dark hallway opened, blinding her eyes with the strong white light coming from the exit.

"Good morning, doc." A dark figure enters the dark room and closes the door behind him.

She immediately recognizes him. The man who shot McCree and knocked her out. There he was, walking towards her with his terrifying mask glaring fixedly at her face, ignoring the rest of the agents in his path.

"Reaper..." She stares him back with a brave gaze.

"Mercy..." His hands reach her chin holding it firmly, stopping her from looking away from his mask. "Let me ask you, doc... Do you remember me?"

"KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM HER!" As a response, Genji punches the door of his cell, but is easily ignored by Reaper, whose focus was entirely on Angela's eyes.

He waits for her answer, but she simply shifts her eyes away from his, leaving him with nothing more than just the silence.

"Always the one looking away." He continues despite her resistance. "You didn't change a thing, Dr. Ziegler..."

"Wait..." Like quick travel back to the past, she begins to recognize that voice, a familiar tone of the man that she used to call a friend, lost a long time ago in the ruins of Overwatch Swiss Headquarters.

"Say it." Noticing her reaction, Reaper challenges her while closing his fists. "Say my name, doc."

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Genji interferes once again using all the strengths he had left to break the door, the only thing between him and Angela.

In response, Reaper lands his gaze to the corner of the ceiling. Following his view, Angela spots a hidden security camera. They were being watched.

"You disappoint me, Sparrow." Reaper nods to the camera.

"What are you going to do with him?!" Angela asks as she stares Reaper looking straight to Genji.

Then, as Angela turns her eyes to his cell, she is forced to watch as electric charges punish Genji's body like multiple tiny bolts of lightning coming from the walls surrounding him, bringing him to his knees without any chance to fight back.

"GENJI!" She hears his desperate screams echoing in his cell as he appears to be writhing in agony. "STOP IT!" She glances at Reaper. "PLEASE!"

Reaper remains still, enjoying Angela's pointless effort to escape those chains to help Genji. The look on her face as she keeps hearing Genji's screams amused him. Her despair, her fear, and her pain. Emotions that he waited too long to see back into her eyes. When looking behind his shoulder, he sees the rest of the team, all of them sharing the same reaction.

One of those prisoners was Hanzo Shimada, immediately feeling the heat on his blood just by hearing his brother's screams. He holds his anger, knowing that it was pointless to fight surrounded by those walls. Different from Angela, he knew Genji could handle the torture. They were both trained for that. But that was enough to make him focus on a new target for his aim. Gabriel Reyes. It was all a matter of time until he had his bow and arrow back, and when he does, he would make sure to be the one to give the final blow.

"LEAVE HIM!" Those words escape Angela's mouth like a last effort to save Genji's life. "PLEASE!"

Then, Reaper returns his gaze to the camera, a signal to deactivate the charges, releasing Genji from his suffering.

"GENJI...? GENJI?!"

She had to listen to his voice, not sure if she were strong enough to handle the silence.

"Answer me... answer me... please..."

"Angela..." He replies with a weak whisper.

Alongside the sound of his voice, came the relief, something that almost made Angela shed a tear just by imagining the possibility of never hearing his voice again.

After that, she wanted to embrace him, feel his arms wrapped around her back at least one last time. She was not ready to lose him. Never.

"What a waste." Reaper grumbles while walking towards his cell, disappointed to see Genji unable to get up from the cold floor. "You were once a soldier, Sparrow. But look at you now."

"Don't hurt him!" Angela courageously warns Reaper, who immediately stares back at her, apparently surprised.

"Looks like you finally have some courage, doc."

"I don't know who you are or what you want from me." She keeps eye contact with him, staying still against his angry and intense tone. "But... don't hurt them, please. I-"

"You know me very well, Mercy. You just don't want to believe the truth, just like you always did with Genji..." He leans closer in a sharp approach. "So look at me and say my name..."

He was right. She didn't want to believe that it was him, but the name started to haunt her consciousness since the moment she heard his voice.

"Reyes." She whispers in a sad tone. "Wh-What happened to you?!"

"You tell me, doc."

"This can't be true..." Lena's heart was devastated after hearing that name. The man who were once an honorable commander reduced to nothing more than just a monster blind by his thirsty for revenge. "It can't be..."

"You are not Reyes." Reinhardt also refuses to accept the revelation. "The Reyes I knew was a friend! A comrade that would never leave anyone behind!"

The remaining agents kept their silence, shocked with the realization that Reyes, Overwatch's greatest heroes in the past, the man that fought alongside legends like Ana Amari and Jack Morrison, didn't exist anymore. Back from the death, a different man raised from the shadows, known only as Reaper.

As Angela glances at the agents, McCree's expression didn't reveal any sort of surprise or shock, but he couldn't hide a small sense of pity for what his old Blackwatch commander has become.

"This answers a lot..." He grumbles while facing his old commander with a sharp look. "Man... I need a drink after this one."

"Jesse..." Reyes approaches McCree's cell.

While facing his mask, McCree quickly shifts his eyes at Angela through Reaper's shoulder.

She understood what he meant by that quick look, he was buying her some time to break free from those chains.

"I don't take lessons from you, Jesse. Just... look at you now, lock up with these traitors when you could've stayed on the winning side, my side. When I first found you, you were nothing more than just a worthless thug on a gang. I made you, McCree... I taught you everything you know..."

"Not everythin'."

"...but just like Sparrow, you walked away, you abandoned the team... and for what...? Redemption? I gave you redemption! I gave you a chance to prove your worth! And what you did in return?! You turned your back to me! Just like... him..." He returns his enraged gaze back to Genji slowly recovering from the electric charges. "And now we have you, the man that chose to became a weapon to hunt and destroy his own clan that left him to die. You were the best one on my team, Sparrow... until..." He quickly glares at Angela, then returns his eyes to Genji. "...until you decided that sleeping with your doctor was more important than your mission."

"Kuso yarō!" Genji smashes his fists against the window with his forgotten rage awakened by Reaper's words.

"Wie kannst du es wagen?!" Angela says, sharing the same hatred.

"You don't deserve these augmentations." Reyes continues, making Genji's blood boiling with every word. "You were once a soldier, you were once my best agent, you were the perfect weapon, Sparrow."

"I was a fool and a monster! AND MY NAME IS GENJI SHIMADA!"

Sparrow, the nickname given by his father, Sojiro Shimada. The nickname that Reyes and some of the Blackwatch agents used to call him. The hidden face of Genji Shimada.

It was as Sparrow that he accepted the mission to destroy the Shimada Clan, but it was as Genji that he found peace within his heart, discovering a higher humanity. He wouldn't allow that burden to haunt him ever again, not after what happened in his bloody past as a Blackwatch agent, not after promising both Angela and himself that he was now a different man, that he was finally whole again.

Zenyatta could not hide his praise for his pupil's quote, defining once and for all who Genji really was. The same could be said by all Overwatch's agents, including the most important person in Genji's transformation, Dr. Angela Ziegler, who stares at him with a beautiful smile, one that always guided Genji on his darkest moments, always bringing him back to the light.

"You'll work for me again, Shimada." Reyes grumbles. "And when those scientists are done with you, you'll be the one doing the bloodshed." He steps back, staring at Mercy and her intense gaze. "Starting with you, doc."

"If you touch him..."

"How does it feels, Ziegler? Knowing that Talon will use your technology against innocents? How many do you think will fall because of you? How many will suffer by your hands?"

"I will never give you my technology!" She replies firmly while trying to avoid thinking about the destruction that Reyes and Talon would unleash if they had her knowledge on their side. It was up to her to stop them from stealing such power, even knowing that they would do everything within their reach to make her share her technology, something that she was determined to defend, even meaning to lose her own life to stop them from achieving their goal. "Never!"

"Let's see for how long you'll delay the inevitable. Let's see how much pain you can handle until you realize that, it doesn't matter how much you resist, you'll work for them, one way or the other." He approaches her face with a terrifying grin hidden behind his mask. "And when the time comes, I'll make sure you watch the outcome."

Then, Angela smashes her forehead against his mask, enough to make Reyes retreat some few steps away. But before she could breathe, she noticed his left hand coming for her eye in response, one that resulted in a precise and devastating punch on her chin, stunning her immediately with the strong impact of his hand smashing the soft surface of her skin. Just one of many others that she would need to handle in order to keep her knowledge away from the wrong hands.

"ANGELA!" Dealing with the impact silently, she hears Genji screaming alongside the sound of his countless attempts to break the door of his cell.

"DR. ZIEGLER!" Tracer lets out a desperate scream alongside Genji's.

Her head hurts after the coward punch. The pain kept her eyes closed, pulling her back to the darkness.

"Doc..." As the sinister voice echoes through her ears, Angela feels Reaper's holding her chin, bringing her gaze back to him, but she doesn't face him. "This is only the beginning. How much more do you think you can handle?"

"I'll never give you my technology." She replies firmly despite all the pain, staying brave against his attempts to break her strong posture. "Never, Reyes... never..."

"Really?" A short and dark chuckle escapes him. "I think it's time for you to meet a friend. Let's for how long you'll keep your courage."

His hands let her go and she watches him heading straight to the exit, giving his old colleagues one last look before opening the door.

"Do as you wish." He says, opening the path to a familiar silhouette, one that made Angela's heart skip a beat in despair.

"My pleasure." The charming voice haunts her again, just as the name behind it. Jiro Shimada, the killer that kidnapped Emily to use her as a human shield against Lena.

The sound of the door behind him felt even more disturbing with his presence.

"So..." He looks around, opening his arms while glancing at the multiple cells. As his eyes lock on Angela, he immediately brings a smile to his face. "Dr. Ziegler... Kept you waiting, hum?"

"You..." Lena faces him through the glass, giving her the perfect view of the monster that tortured Emily.

With the interruption, Jiro stops halfway on his path to Angela with a frustrated expression, but at the same time, keeping his grin.

"Give me one moment, please." Then, he shifts his gaze to Lena. "Lady Oxton! What a lovely surprise. Thank you for helping me out back on Gibraltar. Without you, this... um... lovely meeting, if we can call this a meeting, would be summarized in bullets, blood, and tears. Fun, but not exactly what I had in mind."

"I'll kill you..."

"Sorry, I didn't hear. What did you say?"

Lena was about to reply, but as she feels Emily's hand gently laying over hers, she hesitates, allowing the softness of that touch to ease the anger within her heart, reminding who she really was.

"I see..." Jiro whispers in a sad tone, watching closely as Lena embraces Emily tightly on her arms. He could hear their hearts beating together, suffering together.

"I'm here with you..." Lena whispers softly in Emily's ear. "I'm here, love... I'm here... Everything's gonna be okay... I promise..."

"I said these same exact words." Jiro shares the same sorrow in his weak tone, but not enough to make Lena shift her focus from Emily, who rests her injured body on Tracer's arms, relaxing as she caresses her hair, banishing the pain in every touch. "It was on this exact moment that I became... you know... a Shimada." The grudge felt so explicit after mentioning the name that he chose to carry as part of him, like a guilty, a burden that he chose to never forget. "If you want an advice, Lady Oxton, enjoy while you can. Say everything you want her to hear. Don't waste this moment... it will forever haunt you."

"If you try something against her..."

"Again, I have no interest in your lovely partner. The eye, well... It was not necessary..." For a brief moment, Jiro glances at Genji. "At least I had the kindest to keep her alive. Different from... other people." Then, his eyes return to Lena. "Besides, thanks to our lovely Dr. Ziegler, there are procedures these days capable of repairing her eye. The wonders of modern medicine. So... no hard feelings?"

"NO HARD FEELINGS?!"

"Please, Lady Oxton. Your tiny anger doesn't scare me. What you did back there, of how you dropped your weapons to save your girlfriend, it just proved what I knew since when I first heard about you. You have a good heart. Just by looking at you I knew that you would never pull the trigger. But how long do you think you can stick with that? Because let me tell you, darling, I-"

"Don't call me darling! When I get out of this cell, I'll make you pay for what you did to her!"

"Wow! I knew there was someone hiding in there!" He chuckles. "You'll be pleased to hear that I didn't plan to walk away, Tracer. I knew that there was no turning back since the moment I decided to join this circle of lunatics. And let me tell you, this one way trip it's a luxury, not a curse. But... as I was saying, I know what you are thinking, I know what you are feeling. The hatred running through your veins... Which brings me back to my question, Lady Oxton. How long until you become the evil you are trying to destroy?"

"Stay away from her!" Angela interferes in an attempt to shift Jiro's attention.

"And the tour continues, I think." He turns his back to Lena's cell, but suddenly stops to have a final look into her eyes, sensing the deep anger present within her gaze. "Maybe when our paths cross again, we will discover the answer. I'm looking forward to this moment, Lady Oxton."

"Me too..."

Amused by the coldness of her tone, Jiro proceeds to face Angela, who was apparently shocked with Lena's anger.

"And just like that." Jiro snaps his fingers. "Heroes becomes ashes." Having enough of ceremonies, he walks towards his personal targets that he waited so much to find. "Hanzo Shimada, Genji Shimada, and Angela Ziegler." He points his finger to each one of them, stopping just a few centimeters away from Ziegler, fixing his eyes deeply into hers. "Now there are no more interruptions, let's finally have our civilized meeting. You would not believe of how much I-"

"Hey, you lunatic!" Torbjörn interrupts him. "What did you do with that Bastion?!"

"You know what, I had enough of this." Jiro sighs in frustration. "Does anyone else wants to be rude and interrupt this friendly reunion?!" His elegant and calm tone suddenly shifts, becoming sharper and darker. "If yes, I'm afraid that Lady Oxton and Lady Emily will have the same... shocking experience. To be honest, I'm curious to see which one of the two would burn the brightest. But we wouldn't want that to happen now, would we?" Jiro waits patiently for a response, one that never came due to his threat. "Now... where was I? Oh, yes! Introductions."

He approaches Angela with his casual and charming posture restored that felt even more intimidating after every step closer to her. But she remains still before him, not allowing the fear to consume her, not before such a monster like Jiro Shimada.

"I'm so sorry about this." Facing Angela, Jiro studies the doctor's conditions, able to read through her firm gaze to see how terrified she really was with the whole situation. "I know these chains are not exactly something you could call comfortable, but it will have to do for now."

"Jiro..." Angela immediately replies, interrupting what would probably be Genji's enraged response. "Whatever you're planning to do, I will not give you my-"

"Oh yes, your precious technology! I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I have no interest in your tech, Dr. Ziegler. Unfortunately, I can not say the same about the rest of these... terrorists. In fact, they might be tearing your staff into pieces trying to figure out how that thing works."

"Wh-What...?!"

"But that's not why I'm here, doc..." Slowly, Jiro's cold hand reaches Angela's bruised cheek, caressing it as he takes one more step closer to her. "Like I said, I'm not here for your technology... I'm here for you."

Feeling his touch, Angela pulls her head away from his finger as Jiro maintains his terrifying smile, leaning closer and closer to her lips.

"Don't touch her!" Watching the whole scene unable to do anything about it, Genji's desperate and pointless effort to intimidate Jiro resulted in nothing more that a silent giggle coming from the assassin.

"Oh yes, I forgot! Don't move, my dear. I'll be right back." Then, Jiro immediately shifts his gaze to Genji, staring him thought the tiny window. "Hello, old friend."

"Whatever is your goal against me, leave her out of this." Genji says, trying to stay brave before Jiro. "You can do anything with me. I'll not fight back. Just... don't hurt her."

"The soft and sentimental side of Genji Shimada. Who would've guessed, hum?" Jiro chuckles and leans his back against the door, glancing at both Angela and Hanzo. "I think it's true then. Let me say it, you two are so cute together. It's beautiful, you know..." With a calmer tone, he proceeds. "See the way you look at her, the way you care about her, the way you try to protect her... I saw what you did back there at the facility, of how your sword became her shield. Quite poetic in a way."

"What do you want from us?!" Angela angrily asks.

"For now, just a friendly talk, if you don't mind. Not wanting to sound rude or anything, but I have been through hell just to find you three." His eyes focus on Hanzo. "Don't think I forgot about you, old friend."

"You are a fool to think that these walls will keep you safe from me, coward." Hanzo replies.

"You should get in the line, then. By my calculations, there are... um..." He leans his head to the center of the hallway to count the precise number of cells. "...one, two, three, four... Well, to summarize, there are a lot of people wanting to kill me. But let me guarantee you this, old friend. I may have ninety-nine problems but death ain't one."

"This only makes things so much easier."

Jiro lets out an inelegant snort that felt more like a sarcastic laugh as he keeps his eyes locked on Hanzo. Angela noticed how they appeared to fight a silent battle in their gaze, something that seemed so close to happening.

"This must be horrible for you." He comes back to Angela, insisting on keeping an eye contact with her. "Seeing your team here, locked like animals waiting for a miracle to save them from Talon's hands. I mean, I noticed how terrified you were when your old pal Reyes shot the poor cowboy. Just like Lena... you have a good heart, Dr. Ziegler. And believe, this only makes me feel even more terrible about what is about to happen with you."

"I'm not afraid of you, Jiro." Despite what Jiro appeared to think, Angela wouldn't allow him to impose any sort of dominance before her. She handles his failed attempts to intimidate her with ease, remaining brave against his cold smile.

"You know, Ziegler... You remind me a lot of the doctor that saved me when your dear little boyfriend let me to die in Hanamura." Then, he glares at Genji. "Do you remember that, Sparrow? That night when you decided to pay us a visit? Of course you do. Not only you killed my friends but you also took my dear brother away and just to finish on a high note, you left me on the brink of death." He sheds a short laugh after imagining Genji's reaction behind his visor. "Not cool, you know."

"So this is what you want?" Genji asks in return. "Punish me for what I did to the Shimada Clan? So do it with me, not with her! She has nothing to do with this!"

"I thought the same thing, but a little bird told me that she was the one that saved your life and she was also the brilliant scientist that made you like... this. Isn't that true, Dr. Ziegler?" Leaning closer to her face, Jiro approaches his lips to her ear. "You have no idea of who you brought back from the dead, don't you?" There is a pause as he waits kindly for her answer or some sort of resistance. However, Angela acted coldly and didn't say a word about it, refuse to play by his rules. She feels him sighing on her shoulder, getting closer and closer to her body. "I get it... you don't want to accept the fact that you created a monster. That you can feel the blood of the ones he killed on your own hands... and I'm gonna make you pay for that."

Angela waits for the right moment, waiting just until his neck to get close enough. She knew that, if she wanted to stop Jiro right at that moment, she would only have one chance to do it, one that she could not waste. It was a risky move, but after seeing what he did to Emily, she refused to wait to watch him harming someone else, even meaning breaking her moral code to save her team from his cruelty.

"They ordered me to torture you." Jiro whispers calmly. "To make you give them what they want. Your knowledge, your technology. But... I have my own reasons to make you suffer, Dr. Ziegler." His fingers begins to play with her hair, slowly and gently. "Thanks to you, I had to watch your Frankenstein take everything from me. My friends, my home, my brother, my angel... All lost to the fire surrounding me. Now, I'm going to make you and him feel my pain. We are the same, you know. You, him, Lena, Winston... all of us can handle the sting, the pain, the sorrow, the burn under our skin. But none of us can handle the lost, the loneliness, the emptiness, and the memories of the ones we love suffering in our places. It makes death seems so relieving... That is why I'm gonna make Genji watch and listen to me breaking you... fingernail by fingernail, tooth by tooth, bone by bone, blood by blood..."

As his words echoes through her ear, she leans aggressively against his neck, readying all her teeth to pierce deep through his skin.

However, in a quick reflex, Jiro holds her neck with his left hand, focussing all his strengths to strangle her.

"You got some nerves, doc." With a smile, his fingers curl around Angela's neck, pressing it, closing it.

Her eyes burned with emptiness and anger as she feels her lungs burning with pain. Her mouth falls open, a strangled scream leaving her, failing to breathe.

"ANGELA!" As the edge of her vision goes dark, she hears Genji screams, one after the other, becoming lower and lower as Jiro continues to dig his fingernails into her neck.

She couldn't move, no matter how hard she struggled. Her pulse begins to quicker and her heart, once quickly beating, is now slowing in silence as she fights to stay conscious.

"Don't worry, doc... We are just getting started."Jiro returns his hand to himself, watching with an explicit pleasure Angela's desperation to recover some air, coughing repeatedly as she struggles to speak. "Are you enjoying the show, Genji?" For a brief moment, Jiro stares at Genji, who seemed to be in so much pain to watch Angela being torture by Jiro's hands.

He felt guilty for what was going on. The feeling that she was paying for his actions in the past. Paying for his mistakes, paying for the dark path he chose to follow in order to destroy the Shimada Clan. He chose to turn his back to her to fulfill his thirsty for revenge against his father's empire. Jiro was only another one of the consequences of his decision.

Another ghost from the past haunting him.

"Please..." Devastated, Genji practically begs in his cell, almost breaking the bones of his hands after so many useless punches against the door. "Kill me instead!"

"No, my friend." Jiro replies, pulling one of his blades and pressing the sharp sword against Angela's cheek, requiring just one soft move to slice through her skin. "There's nothing worse in this life than being forced to deal with moments like this, watching someone you know suffering without being able to help..."

Angela freezes as she feels the blade cutting from her forehead all the way down to her lips. Her skin ripping open at the blade as she cries out in pain, already feeling the blood running down her face.

"Now you take it from here." Locking eyes with Genji, Jiro cleans the fresh blood staining his blade on Angela's shoulder, stepping away from her while replacing his blade by a familiar revolver. As he passes through Jesse's cell, he shows him the gun with a sarcastic grin. "I hope you don't mind."

It was McCree's Peacekeeper, now in the hands of Jiro Shimada.

"Genji..." Emptying the barrel of the revolver, Jiro watches Genji's reaction while grabbing two of the six bullets now scattered around the floor. "Why don't you take from here? I'm a little tired, you know. Just avoid her suit, please. The scientists want her equipment intact."

"What...?"

"Hey, darling." He approaches Lena's cell while apparently filling two of the empty chambers with two twin bullets. "Let's play a game."

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!" Even drowning in pain, Angela screams desperately.

Giving the camera a quick gaze, he snaps his fingers, watching as the electric charges on Tracer's cell are activated, bringing both her and Emily to their knees. The scream tore through Lena like a great shard of glass as she feels hundreds of volts traveling through her body. The scream came again, desperate, terrified with the scene of Emily lying motionless against the floor.

"EMILY!" She tries to get up, extending her hands trying to reach hers.

The charges remained activated until Lena's chronal accelerator gave the first signs of malfunction.

"That's enough." After Jiro's command, the cell opens behind Tracer, giving him the freedom to aim the revolver against her leg. "I'm sorry." Without hesitation, he pulls the trigger.

With her accelerator in critical conditions, Lena could not escape the bullet piercing brutally through her flesh. She felt the immediate impact followed by the feeling of blood escaping in torrents through the open wound. Stunned, she could hear her teammates screaming, calling her name in despair, but as she sees Jiro approaching Emily and grabbing her hair to pull her out of the cell, hearing her screaming for help while extending her hand in an attempt to reach hers, the physical pain regarding the shot was nothing compared to what Jiro was taking away from her at that moment. A piece of her heart.

As they leave Lena bleeding on the floor, the cell was shut again, now with Emily trapped on Jiro's arms away from Tracer.

"LENA!"

Those words were enough to make the chronal accelerator return to it's normal state, allowing Lena to jump back in time, ceasing the bleeding and healing her wound, but it was too late to reach Jiro through the other side of the door.

"You're fascinating, Lady Oxton." Bringing Emily to her knees, Jiro glances at Lena with a smile, impressed for what she was capable of.

"EMILY!" Lena lets out a thunderous scream as tears of despair and fear spill down her face. "PLEASE! TAKE ME!"

"Don't worry, my dear." Jiro replies. "I'm sure he will save her... probably." As he shifts his gaze back to Genji, the sound of his cell opening echoes throughout the hallway.

Free, Genji immediately steps out, standing between Angela and Jiro as they lock eyes. His first reaction was to rush at Jiro with all his strengths, but he froze as the assassin presses the revolver against Emily's neck, unleashing her tears and her hiccups, shared by Lena watching the whole scene through the tiny window.

"Don't do it..." Taking a few steps closer to Jiro, Genji opens his arms. "It's me who you want. It's me who you want dead."

"Genji, go back to your savior." He orders with his finger pressed softly against the trigger. "Go back to your doctor."

Hesitating at first, Genji obeys and walks backward until feeling Angela's cold body colliding with his back.

Angela, just like all the others, was in shock, unable to say a word, a whisper, a scream to fight that madness.

"These terrorist believe that it requires an experiment to turn someone into a monster." Jiro locks eyes with the couple. "But we both know that it only takes one simple moment to break someone's will, to change everything. One final blow, one single move, one single bullet... one single choice." Then, he spins the barrel of the revolver, now filled with one lonely bullet. "You made me learn that the hard way, Genji. And now, I give you two choices. First one, you try to fight me and they will kill not only the poor kid's family but Emily as well. And there's the second one... You'll make your lovely doctor taste her own medicine. What I mean by that is... I want to see your hands covered with her blood. Yeah, I know, this sound harsh and all but your friend Reyes told me you have quite an experience with torture. Just don't break her neck, alright? Don't repeat the same mistake that you did to my brother, Sheng. Ah, before I forget..." They hear the sound of Jiro pushing the trigger, but no bullet was fired. "The more you wait, the sooner we will find out how luck Emily is. So... why don't you unleash **the killer within** you against your lovely doctor?"


	16. A3: Chapter 2 - The Killer Within

**"Stay with me... That's what she said to me before I turn my back to her to fulfill my thirst for revenge against those who took everything from me. My home, my honor, my life. I was angry, sad, and broken. But then, they appeared... she appeared. The angel that saved my life. I've never seen someone so beautiful, so kind, so sweet, so... peaceful. Just when I was too far gone when I noticed that she gave me everything of what was stolen from me. A new home, a new purpose, a new... life. She made me whole again... but I was too blind to notice. After everything I did, all the blood that I shed, all the fighting and the chaos around me, I couldn't stop thinking about my first mission as a Blackwatch agent. I was about to enter that ship when she held my hand and told me that I didn't need to fight, that I could just forget my revenge and stay in the facility with her... I can still remember the sadness in her eyes when I refused to listen... of how I hurt her heart when I chose to ignore her words. I broke her heart... not only that, but I broke any chances we had to stay together. Just now I realize how I made her suffer, made her cry. It was all my fault... it is all my fault." - Genji Shimada.**

 **"I was in pain, but I did not understand why. There were no punches. There were no wounds. There was no blood. There was only you going away quietly, after so long, as someone I once knew." - Angela Ziegler.**

* * *

"The more you wait, the sooner we will find out how lucky Emily is. So... why don't you unleash the killer within you against your lovely doctor?"

Those were the words that broke Genji Shimada.

There he was, between Angela with her hands tied with chains attached to the ceiling and the ghost that came back from his past to haunt and punish him, known only as Jiro Shimada.

Consumed by the same thirsty for revenge that once blind Genji, Jiro Shimada stood still, calm as usual, looking fixedly at both Genji and Angela while softly pressing the barrel of McCree's Peacekeeper against Emily's head.

There was not a word, not a scream, not a whisper. Nothing could break the cycle of her tears meeting the floor before her knees, one at a time.

The silence was absolute. Darkness almost implacable. No one wanted to risk, not a single noise, not with Jiro threatening to fire the gun at any moment.

The team surrendered before his threat. Surrendered before fear.

With nothing more than just a few polite words, Jiro broke any hope left for the Overwatch team. By simply slowly placing his finger on the trigger, he made them realize how they were powerless against him, wisely taking advantage of the harsh reality now explicit before their own eyes. As long as innocent lives were in danger, he and Talon would always have the upper hand.

"Please..." Drowning into the depths of despair, Lena stares at Jiro while listening to the sound of Emily collapsing in her long and suffering hiccups as her eyes collapses into tears.

It required just one soft touch of Jiro's finger on the trigger. One quick second to take away what was most precious to Lena.

One simple move to crush a piece of her heart.

"You don't have to do this. You can take me! I will do anything... She... SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS! PLEASE!"

The answer came in a serene discreet smile, revealing Jiro's obscure pleasure in hearing those words.

"Did you hear that, Sparrow?" Jiro asks with his casual elegant and smooth tone as his eyes lands on Genji's visor. "I hope you did, because whatever happens next... it's up to you."

Genji wanted to resist, to rush straight at Jiro, but as he notices the fear and despair within Lena's eyes, he found himself powerless against the assassin.

He didn't need his sword to face Jiro in a dual, but he knew that it was a risk he couldn't take, not with innocent lives in the crossfire.

"It's me who you want." Struggling to hide the fear running through his veins, Genji faces Jiro firmly as he hears his own heart skipping a beat. "Leave them out of this." He opens his arms, giving Jiro an opportunity for a clear shot straight into his chest. "You want revenge, so aim at the right target."

"No..." An immediate whisper escapes Angela's lips followed by a dry cough punishing her wounded throat. "No... Genji... don't..."

The hurt sound of her voice had an immediate impact on Genji, noticing that even after minutes of almost being strangled to death by Jiro, her fight to recover air continues, so does her efforts to stay conscious. But despite all the pain, nothing could hurt her more than the scene of Emily suffering in the hands of a monster, a coward without any sort of humanity left in his heart.

It was up to her to stop that. It was up to her to save Emily's life.

"What a shame..." Jiro sighs, disappointed after hearing Genji's words. "I thought I made myself clear on the first time, but let's try again."

He pulls the trigger without hesitation, but just as before, only the quick sound of an empty chamber being fired. Harmless, with no impact, but that slip second of uncertainty felt like a direct bullet piercing thought Lena's chest.

"NO!" She screams, louder than her throat permitted, shouting all at once the panic she felt in that moment of doubt.

"Four remaining." Jiro reminds, carefully and slowly caressing Emily's hair while feeling her skin freezing in fear. "You're the luckiest woman I've ever met, Lady Emily."

"I BEG YOU!" Those words escapes her in the moment where Lena was completely taken by the fear of never seeing Emily again, a thought that kept sending her to tears. "PLEASE... PLEASE! LET HER GO!"

"Don't beg to me, darling." He returns his eyes back to Genji. "Beg to him." Suddenly, the elegance present in his tone vanished as stares at Genji's motionless visor. "Don't be rude, Sparrow. At least have the decency to face your punishment with your own eyes." His finger begins to play with the trigger, not requiring much to pull it.

Out of options, Genji didn't think about it, only obeyed in order to avoid another possible shot. Slowly, he takes his visor away, allowing the solitary light above him to reveal his scars covering his face, making him barely recognizable by both Jiro and Hanzo, who felt the same initial shock after their recent confrontation in Hanamura.

The look on their faces, the feeling of disgust coming from their sudden reaction made Genji remember the struggles he had back on the days when he needed to get used to his new body that he once rejected. He used to see himself as a freak, always in the necessity to hide his face from the rest of world. It was thanks to Angela and Zenyatta, he finally found his peace, but nothing could heal his scars from the past, nothing could wash away the blood that he once shed in his blind journey for revenge, a one-way trip into the abyss that once consumed his older brother.

All those missions, all those targets, all those times when he refused to listen to Angela's concerns, all those memories were his true scars that never healed. Not the ones made by Hanzo, but those Genji made to his own soul. A brutal reminder of his time as a Blackwatch agent.

Now he was being forced to face his nightmares once again, forced to face his punishment by the hands of a ghost born from the ashes of those who fell for the Shimada Clan.

Jiro Shimada, the last assassin standing.

"And you guys calling me a monster." Jiro lets out a short direct giggle at Genji, who could not hide his fists closing in anger. "Now why don't you look at your dear friend's eyes?"

Following Jiro's finger guiding his gaze, Genji saw the amount of suffering within Lena's tears as Emily shares the same sorrow and fear. It revealed how Jiro broke Tracer, playing with her emotions to force Genji into a cycle of torture.

No punches, no cuts, no bruises on his skin... Only blood and tears of the ones he loved more than his own life. His new family. And nothing could hurt him more than that, watching others being punished for his mistakes.

His burdens.

"Jiro... you don't have to do this..." Lena whispers once again. "You don't... you don't... Please... You can take me...! I will do anything...! But don't... don't hurt her... She did nothing to you... Please... PLEASE!"

Both Jiro and Genji stood silent after that, there was no need for more words. In the end, they both knew that the situation would end in blood. The only choice Jiro gave Genji was to limit the amount of it. And as hard as Genji tries to close his eyes to that choice, he knew what he needed to do to stop Jiro from murdering Emily in cold blood.

And Angela knew that as well.

She couldn't just wait and watch as Jiro tortures both Emily and Lena. There was a way, a chance to save Emily, but only if both Angela and Genji surrounded to Jiro's sick wish.

 _ **"You'll make your lovely doctor taste her own medicine."**_

The wish to see Genji's hand covered by her blood. The desire to hear her screams as he tortures her.

A sacrifice to save Emily, one she was ready to face.

"Genji..." Her fragile, almost unbearable whisper calls him.

She knew it would break him, like never before, but she tried to stay strong for him. For them.

She wanted to believe that there was another way, but Angela accepts the fact that the pain was inevitable. Even if Genji somehow managed to take down Jiro, Talon would still have all the others on the palm of their hands.

One way or the other, people would die.

Genji, Lena, Emily, Winston, Jesse, Reinhardt, Brigitte, Torbjörn, Jimmy, Jane, and Adam.

Names of the ones she loved, names of innocents she swore to protect. Names of those Talon would use to threaten Angela, torturing her, breaking her will, destroying her soul, pressuring her into surrendering before them by sharing her technology and her knowledge with the world's terrifying monsters. Reaper, Widowmaker, and now, Jiro Shimada.

That moment was more than just about vendetta for the past against Genji, more than a torture. Behind the blurred and dark order coming from Jiro, lies Talon's attempt to break Angela by the harshest and darkest methods on their reach.

The only choice she had was to endure all the pain and sorrow to give Emily, Lena, and all the rest of the team more time.

A chance to overcome fear and find a way to fight back.

An illusion of hope, delaying the inevitable outcome.

But for that, Angela and Genji had to make a choice. Together. One that would forever leave a scar within their hearts.

"Don't ask me this..." Genji didn't have the strengths to face her, not sure if he could handle the fact that he was about to be the one torturing her. "Don't ask me to do it... Don't ask me this, Angela... Not me..."

It couldn't be him.

Not him... not against her.

Angela saw how devastated he was, of how he wished to face all the pain alone to spare her from the torture. He was ready for everything that Jiro and Talon planned for him, but he couldn't handle the suffering to be the one responsible for Angela's pain.

"I'm not going to do this with you... I can't, Angela... I can't..." He whispers as the sorrow within his sentence becomes explicit as he lowers his gaze to the floor, refusing to look into her eyes. A wound pulsing with pain in every heartbeat.

"Come on, Sparrow." Jiro replies. "Don't be so dramatic about it. I didn't ask you to kill her, I asked you to give her a few punches here and there. Give her taste of what you did with the Shimada Clan. Sure this is not an easy thing to ask due to your special relationship with her. And yes, you will probably leave her on the brink of death, but it's a possibility against a certain, and that certain is..." There is a short pause as Jiro presses the barrel of the revolver deeper against Emily's head. "Don't make me count, Genji. I don't know which number will kill her." Enraged by the silence, Jiro reinforces his aggressive tone, becoming sharper after every second of Genji refusing to follow his demand. "Four..."

Without warning, the countdown begins as soon as Jiro pulls the trigger, resulting in another quick and empty sound echoing through Emily's ears, drowning her deeper and deeper into despair as Jiro prepares another shot with only three chambers remaining.

In every second, in every empty chamber, Lena felt the desperation slowly being replaced by a silent darkness. In every empty chamber, a step back from life. A step back from everything she loved, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Only watch as Emily stands in a thin line between life and death.

"Three..."

There was the sound again, another silence sharp as a knife cutting through her chest followed by pieces of her heart falling before the floor into tears.

"GENJI!" Angela screams his name, bringing his frozen eyes to hers. "Genji...! Genji... It's okay... It's okay... Just... do it already..."

"Angela, I..."

Their eyes met on the edge of their sorrow, bringing to light the tears they kept hidden from one another. Angela looked deeply into his eyes, sensing the pain consuming his soul, vanishing his strengths. He didn't handle the choice, he didn't accept it. He should be the one to suffer, not them. Not Emily, not Lena, not Angela... The burden of his past belonged only to him. The suffering, the sorrow, the pain, belonged only to him.

But that wasn't part of Jiro's plan. In any moment he seemed to wish Genji's death. He wanted him to craft his own suffering. His own punishment.

"You promised her that this would never happen, didn't you?" Jiro interrupts with a quiet giggle, but at the same time, drawing a sense of surprise in his words due to Genji's unshakeable refusal to harm Angela. "You promised her to keep her safe, to never hurt her again..." As he watches carefully to Genji's reaction regarding his last quote. A shock, fast as a lighting that brought back the memories Genji desperately tried to bury for years. "Yes, your old friend Reyes told me everything about you two." Looking over through Genji's shoulder, he stares at Angela. "Poor Dr. Ziegler... She thought she could save you, Sparrow. That she could free you from your burdens and wash away the blood on your hands..."

 _ **"You don't know me, Angela."**_

 _ **"How can you say something like that? I took care of you since the moment you got here. All those months, helping you to get used to your new body, our long talks, our walks around the facility with your arm around my neck... It was in those moments, Genji... those moments where I knew who you were..."**_

 _ **"If you had seen the things that I did today... you would never forgive me... you would hate me..."**_

"That she could save you from your past by giving you a future..."

 _ **"One day all this will be over, and when it does, I will be there with you and we'll forget all of this. No more violence, no more bloodshed... only us... I love you, Genji..."**_

"She thought she could handle the weight of your burdens to save you from your own darkness, facing all the hatred and suffering to bring you back to the light..."

 _ **"Genji... may I ask you something?"**_

 _ **"Anything, Dr. Ziegler." He caresses her chin. "Anytime."**_

 _ **A shy laugh escapes her.**_

 _ **"I know your mission is your top priority, but... could you please stay here for at least one day? I mean, I know you want to finish this as soon as possible, but everyone deserves a rest once in a while. It would be good for your mind and your body as well. And also..." Before she could start her classic doctor's orders, Genji interrupts her with a quick kiss, followed by another one on her cheek.**_

 _ **"You're my top priority, Angela." He says, smiling, but freezes with his own words. "Well... that sounded weird."**_

 _ **"Aww..." She takes that with a smile, easing his embarrassment with a gentle kiss on his lips. "It was kind of cute in a way." She grins, blushing with his funny reaction. "This means you're going to stay?" She whispers in his ear.**_

 _ **"Of course I will." Genji replies, slowly embracing her body against his. "Besides, I would never deny an angel's wish."**_

 _ **Angela answers with a smile while holding his hand, placing it on his own chest.**_

 _ **"See...?" She asks. "This is who you are, Genji Shimada."**_

"She gave you a chance, Sparrow... She gave you everything that was taken from you, probably believing that you two would live happily ever after somewhere around Switzerland and grow old together. Maybe with some kids? I wonder how much she wanted that..."

"Enough!" Genji interferes lifting his head to face Jiro, resisting the urge to rush at him.

The hatred and the rage growing in every heartbeat, burning into Genji's mind, pushing him to embrace his obscure thoughts of what he wanted to do with Jiro right in that moment, right in that room. He had a straight path to him, but every step closer to him becomes a step away from Angela, away from Lena, away from his friends locked in their cells.

Away from his family, pieces of his heart that he could never risk losing it.

"I can't imagine your pain, Dr. Ziegler." However, Jiro was determined to awake the rage within Genji. He wanted his hatred, he wanted his anger, he wanted the worst within him. "Honestly, I feel sorry for you." He proceeds, focusing entirely on Angela, watching coldly as she struggles to hear those words. "By what Reyes told me about you, I can see how much you loved this... monster. You really thought you could make him see the light. You really thought you could save his soul." His words gets colder, and sharper as he continues to manipulate her emotions, her memories.

Her lost memories, fragments of a past never forgotten. Wishes, dreams, and plans for the future. All burned to ashes filled with suffering, sadness, and broken promises.

All gone in one single minute.

 _ **"How... how could you..." Angela says, shocked by the amount of blood on Genji's hand. "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?!"**_

The memory that always brought tears to her eyes. The memory of the day she lost Genji.

"In fact, I understand you, Dr. Ziegler. I really do. I mean, how could you possibly handle another loss? Mommy and daddy are just one of many, am I right?"

Her heart pulses aggressively as those words reach her. Her parents lost to the horrors of the First Omnic Crisis. The memories came, and with it, the cold shiver throughout her skin, the immediate sadness brought to her eyes, and the flaming rage warming her frozen body.

"You..." As she stares at Jiro, she begins to feel the anger running through her veins all the way to her hands. She never felt something so intense and so obscure in her whole life. The hatred she had for Hanzo was nothing compared to her feelings about Jiro Shimada at that moment.

For the first time in her life, Angela felt the desire to make someone bleed, cry, and beg for mercy. For the first time, she felt the anger consuming her heart and thoughts, slowing tearing her moral code into pieces.

Slowing, the anger overcame peace, and Angela noticed that, feeling the anger corroding her soul.

" _No_." She immediately thought.

No, she would never fall for it. She would never allow her heart to succumb to the same abyss that consumed and took away most of her life. The same darkness that consumed and took Genji away from her arms.

"It's really a shame we had to reach this point." With a hollow grin, Jiro proceeds, returning his finger back to the trigger. "But like I said, Sparrow..." He shifts his gaze to Genji, sensing the heat of his breath revealing the fury increasing his thirsty for blood. "You had a chance to walk away and live your life, but no... You chose to fight your own people, destroy everything your family fought so hard to build, and spit on your father's empire. You made your choice, Sparrow. You chose blood and revenge over the happiness that was right in front of you." After each word, Jiro's tone, once elegant and intimidating, dissolves into sadness and anger, more than he could possibly hide behind his now fake smile. "You chose to take everything from me. My home, my honor, my friends, my brother, my-" Suddenly, he stops, so as his attempts to maintain his composure, unable to hide the wounds of his loss. "You have no idea, don't you? You have no idea of what you took from me. No idea of what it is like to be forced to live a life without those that used to make you whole. You have no idea of what it is like to wake up every morning wishing to be dead... But you are about to feel how it is like, and honestly... I'm dying to see your face when you realize that I'm just here because of you... You made me suffer, Sparrow. But you taught me something, and for that, I thank you." Then, he brings the smile back to his lips alongside a short, yet dry giggle. "When you have nothing else to go back for, you discover the harsh reality hidden within you. When the rage begins to rise, the masks fall, and you begin to forget what you want to remember and remember what you want to forget... Now, I'm going to do the same with you."

Between rage and sorrow, there is a pause, and as the silence takes over the room, the fear takes over Genji and Angela after hearing Jiro's last quote.

"Now, where did I stop...? Ah, yes! Two..."

"Wait!" Lena immediately interferes. "No! NO!"

With two more chambers left, Jiro pulls the trigger, realising the hollow click without impact, leaving just one last chamber.

"EMILY!"

"NO!" Angela screams in despair. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS! YOU DON'T-"

"You are right, Ziegler. I don't need and I don't want to. But my old friend is forcing my hand." Then, he faces Genji. "So what is going to be, Sparrow? The beautiful face of your sweet doctor or the life of Tracer's lovely girlfriend? Or you can try to kill me, and honestly, you would be doing me a favor! But I can promise you that Talon will do anything to stop you from escaping, including applying some voltages to some of your new friends and, if you want my personal opinion, I doubt that the bucket of bolts over there will last long." He quickly glances at Zenyatta. "And let's not forget the poor little Jimmy... You wouldn't want to have this kind of blood on your hands, would you? If you can still tell the difference, that is."

Cornered, Genji inhales a sharp breath, cutting deeper inside him. There was no point in begging anymore. He had to make a choice, the only one that could save Emily and the rest of his family. However, as he turns his face to Angela, his hands weakens, trembling as he sees the fresh blood dripping down Angela's cheek. The pain suffered in Jiro's hands was about to return, now by his hands.

"Genji..." She whispers softly, trying to cover her tearing eyes as he slowly makes the eye contact. "Don't worry about it, alright?" She forces a smile with a lonely tear reaching her lips. "Save her... Think about Emily... think about Lena..."

"Angela... I can't do this you... I can't!"

"Just do it, Genji..." She gives him one final look, one final grin before shutting her eyes, waiting for the upcoming pain. "I love you, Genji... No matter what you do, you'll never hurt me... Never Genji... never..."

"I..."

"One..." Jiro interferes, his hoarse voice revealing that he was about to fire the last chamber, the one that would end Emily's life in a blink of an eye.

There was no time left. Genji immediately heard Lena's screams and felt the tension of Jiro slowly pulling the trigger. All of it pushed him to do it, to hurt Angela with his own hands to save Emily.

She wanted that, she chose to suffer so Emily and Lena could stay together. She knew it would break her, but nothing would make her change her decision to handle the pain so others could live.

Then, pushed by the screams, Genji clenches his fists and lands the first strike on Angela's stomach, quick and direct, doing everything he could to do the least amount of pain possible.

Dealing with the impact silently, Angela's chin falls above Genji's shoulder while feeling the pain underneath her skin. She didn't want to show suffering or fear. She didn't want him to see the pain within her tears she tried to hold back from him.

For a brief moment, he felt the soft surface of her skin resting on his shoulder, not allowed to reply with his casual gentle touch caressing her golden hair.

"You didn't hear me, Sparrow?" Jiro asks. "I distinctly remember asking you to not damage her suit. The scientists want that intact, if you don't mind. Which means..."

"No..." Genji whispers to himself with his lips just a few centimeters away from Angela's ear. "I can't, Angela... I..."

"I will be fine, Genji..." She whispers back. "We will be fine. I promise you."

"Sparrow..." Then, Jiro calls him. "Come on, don't stop just now. You and she have a lot more to suffer. A lot more to learn. And also, my dinner is almost ready, so I would appreciate if we could finish this as soon as possible. I don't want to lose the Crab Rangoon."

"I'll be fine, Genji..." She repeats quietly, not allowing Jiro's words get to him. "It's alright... it's alright..." Angela lifts her face away from his shoulder, knowing it was only the beginning.

She returns her head between her stretched arms, easing Genji's panic with a weak smile, sadly waiting for what was coming for her.

"I will make this easy on you, Sparrow." Jiro breaks the silence. "How about this? I'm going to pronounce the name of every single person you took away from me. Maybe you will remember some of them, maybe not. For each name, I want a drop of blood from her sweet soft face. The nose, the chin, the forehead, the cheeks, the lips, the eyes- all of it. I know it sounds harsh and all but we both know someone has to pay for what you did to the Shimada Clan and I'm kindly giving you an option to chose how, who, and how many will bleed. Besides, looks like your beautiful doctor made her choice already. Which means that there's no point to wait any longer, so let's begin, shall we?" The way his lips lifted upward revealed how rich was the joy to watch Genji's face collapsing into bitterness. "Eiji Akiyama." The first name is pronounced, unfamiliar for both Genji and Angela. "Your cue, Sparrow."

"Do it, Genji." With her eyes closed, Angela orders. "Think about them... please..."

"Dr. Ziegler..." Lena whispers her name from her cell.

"Everything is going to be alright, Lena." Angela brings a grin to her lips. "I promise you... I promise..."

"Angela..."

She feels the heat of his fingers on her bruised cheek, caressing it, slowly and carefully, like he always did, like she always wanted to feel his touch, easing all her struggles.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Angela..."

But as he speaks, that soft gesture of love and all that feeling of happiness of her in his arms vanishes, leaving only the regrets of a future now out of their reach.

As she feels his hand closing in her cheek, she lets out a fragile breath, the sound of her silent cry that made it's away out to her lips.

"NOW, SPARROW!" Suddenly, Jiro screams, letting out all his anger.

Without a way out, Genji raises his fist, freezing it in midair. Hesitating, refusing. But as Angela's words echoes in his mind, his fist meets her cheek in a harmless punch with no power, no blood.

Again, he avoided using his strength against her. Again, he challenged Jiro's orders.

"I see no blood, Sparrow. Why don't you do something about that before I put a bullet to her-"

However, before he could even make a threat, Genji unleashed another blow against Angela, stronger than the previous, smashing her nose in a devastating punch. A sudden heavy impact enough to get a scream out of her lips, loud and painful as a bullet piercing through Genji's chest. Then, the blood came, sputtering out of her like a waterfall.

"Now we are talking!" Jiro chuckles. "I'm sure my dear friend Eiji had a blast to watch this. How gratifying it is to give my fellow friends the justice they deserve. So, let's move to the next one, shall we? Now... give Mitsue Ito a reason to smile."

"No." Genji replies fiercely, but when he was about to turn to face Jiro, a wounded whisper froze his body, keeping his eyes locked into something he didn't want to see.

"You... are... going to kill her..." Angela, fighting to stand the pain after the stunning punch. "Genji... don't..."

Locked in a cycle of torture, Genji was forced to see and listen to her groans. Every drop of her blood was a new scar to his heart, broad and rough.

It hurt, so much.

Every punch.

Every tear.

Every scream.

A minute has passed after the last punch. Genji waited the most he possibly could before proceeding with the torture, but he had in mind that, if he takes too long, it would result in Emily's death.

This time, he landed his fists right on her cheek, collapsing her face to the left due to the massive shock, able to do a small scratch against the softness of her skin that immediately got covered by blood, escaping in torrents through her newest wound. One of many that stained Genji's hands.

"Ichiro Hidaki." Jiro continues with no more ceremonies, keeping it brief.

And again, Angela felt Genji's fist piercing through the air, reaching the top of her left eyebrow. Alongside the dizziness came  
the blood, flowing quietly, falling to her eye and dripping as scarlet tears, painting the half of her white face now lost in rivers of pain.

"Kill me... kill me..." Genji murmurs as he glances over his shoulder to face Jiro. "You can do whatever you want with me, just let them go... Please... If you want to punish someone, punish me... me... only me..."

"Sheng Hitachi." He ignores him, blindly pronouncing the next name, saying it with a profound anger in each letter.

Sheng Hitachi, Jiro's brother. The man tortured and killed by Genji Shimada in a day that left a cursed shadow pursuing him wherever he went. The source of all his worst nightmares bringing him back to that moment when he discovered the killer within him. Not only before his eyes, but before Angela's.

"Here... you will need something sharper to honor him." As he speaks, Jiro pulls out one of his blades, throwing it to floor close to Genji's feet. "Do you recognize this sword, Sparrow?"

Even against his will, Genji couldn't help but glance at the blade just below his feet. As he lay his eyes on his own reflection within the blade, a memory flashes in his mind, revealing the true answer to the question.

It was Sheng's sword, a remainder of the confrontation that took place in Hanamura in Genji's mission to capture him. The sword of a man who fell before his rampage, now on Jiro's hands.

"It's funny how we try to remember the people we care about by keeping something that belonged to them... Funny how we try to remember something that no longer exists." Jiro whispers. "Now, cut her ring finger. No room for weakness this time, Sparrow. One finger, one clean cut. Otherwise, not only I will put a bullet to Emily's skull, but I will also cut off Angela's arm. So, if you could spare me of this exhausting task, I will be forever grateful. Just give her a moment to breathe and process that for a sec. It will probably don't hurt that much if she's ready, you know."

"Go to hell."

He had enough of that torture, he could no longer stand the image of Angela collapsing second after second, tear after tear, blood after blood.

Slowly, Genji grabs the sword, holding it with all his strengths, all his rage running through his veins. He turns to Jiro, who didn't express any sort of fear, not with Emily as his human shield.

However, the anger began to take over Genji, the same anger he felt when he murdered Sheng, the intense desire to hear that blade cutting through Jiro's flesh until there was nothing left of him.

The pressure was too much for him to hold. Too much.

He was about to do it, but on his first step towards Jiro, he heard Angela's voice, whispering behind him.

"No... no... don't... Genji..."

Angela could barely open her eyes, her whole head burns as the blood continues to flow non-stop. Her mouth hurts, making every breath feel like a sacrifice. The air somehow felt sharper, hurting her lungs, slowing her pulse. Her body, slowly, giving up, leaving nothing but dark.

"Angela... love..." Then, she hears his voice and feels the warm touch of his hand now pressed against her bloody cheek.

The pain stopped her from replying, from opening her eyes to see his face. However, she could sense his approach, hear him whispering to her ear.

So close, yet, so far.

"I should've listened to you... I should've stayed... I shouldn't have left you alone... Angela... I..." She begins to feel his arms wrapping around her back, embracing her, like a shield protecting its owner. On one of the darkest moments of her life, she found comfort in his chest. She didn't need to see to believe that Genji was right there next to her. Where he should've always been. "I'm sorry for not being with you before... I'm sorry for abandoning you... I'm sorry for every night I wasn't with you. I'm sorry for every time I flew away to my missions. I'm sorry for not giving you the life you deserved..." His forehead meets hers, making some of his own tears to flow through her skin.

 _ **"Genji... we could've stayed together! We could've lived together on a house when everything was over! We could've grown old together! Everything could've been so different...!"**_

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

 _ **"I wanted you... Genji..."**_

"...for everything."

"Gen-Genji..." Even struggling to speak, even feeling that every word would get her closer to her end, she needed him to listen, she needed him to know before anything happens to her. Angela wanted him to carry those words for the rest of his life. "I... forgive... you..."

It stroke him, harder than any of the previous times he hurt her. The sadness that he felt of not being able to reply such sentence torn his heart into pieces.

Those three precious words... "I forgive you." How powerful was the impact that came without warning, easing his guilt and sorrow for a future he wasn't capable of giving her. A future lost in the dreams of a Fallen Angel who faced all kinds of wounds to make him whole again. All for him, all for love. No one would have gone that far for him. And even if her efforts condemn her to an eternal pain, she would never regret a moment she spent on his side. Not one.

Those were the memories she wanted to keep no matter what happened. Those were the memories she wanted him to keep within his heart.

"Break is over, Sparrow." Jiro interferes. "Hurry this up, please. I don't-"

Suddenly, the door opens behind him, punishing Angela's eyes with the gray light coming from the exit where two shadows appeared side by side.

As her vision adjusts, she recognizes the familiar silhouettes with both their names already in mind.

Gabriel Reyes and Amélie Lacroix.

Reaper and Widowmaker.

"Sounds like someone wants to join this... um... friendly meeting." Jiro greets them with a simple grin followed by a giggle. "I knew you would never allow me to have all the fun. How about we-"

"That's enough, Jiro." Reaper interrupts him.

Jiro inhaled that silently, letting it out a snort to express his disgust to hear that.

"And why the sudden change of spirit...?" He asks angrily.

"We ordered you to torture her." Widowmaker speaks lowly while staring at Angela, quickly studying her condition. "Not kill her."

"Oh, so you suddenly have feelings now?"

"The boss wants her alive, and her hands intact." Reaper adds, not having any pleasure in stopping Jiro from torturing Angela until her last breath.

He clearly hates it, but does it. They had orders. Talon had other plans for Angela, and killing her alongside her precious knowledge was clearly not one of them.

Meanwhile, Genji and Angela watches them arguing without interfering, but Genji doesn't let his guard down since both Reaper and Widowmaker were armed and Jiro still had Emily.

"This is not what we agreed on, my friend." Jiro finally answers, struggling to keep an ease tone about it.

"You will have plenty of time before the experiment." Reaper persists. "They are not going anywhere."

"Besides, it wouldn't be nice to end the entertainment this early..." Widowmaker's dry response sends immediate shivers to Angela's spine as she gives her a quick glance.

A silent chuckle echoes underneath Jiro's mouth, bringing a smile to his lips as he returns his gaze back to Genji.

"You are not going anywhere... so neither do I."

Genji doesn't answer him. He wanted to, but he doesn't, fearing for what Jiro could do in retaliation against Emily.

"Sparrow," Reyes calls him. "Get her out of those chains, drop the sword, and move to your cell. Now..." He points his shotguns, one aimed at Emily and the another to Genji.

"Ne faites rien de stupide." Widowmaker warns him as she brings the scope to her eye. A precise shot of her rifle could easily take down no only Genji, but Angela as well. All she needed was a reason to fire the bullet, something she would do without hesitation with so much pleasure.

"Whatever she said." And obviously, never losing an opportunity to taunt Genji, Jiro stares him. "Make sure patch her up a bit so I can have more fun with her later, alright?"

Empty words that had no impact on Genji whatsoever. Nothing could shift his focus on that moment, no as he cuts the chains to free Angela from her torment.

Her body falls to his arms, unable to handle her legs, barely moving a muscle. She buries her face into his chest, hiding all the blood from his view.

No words could describe the happiness Angela had after hearing his heartbeat, so intense that she couldn't follow. But it felt good... it felt so good to feel his arms embracing her tightly against his chest stopping her from falling, easing the pain with his fingers caressing her neck.

"My angel... it's over..." He whispers and repeats numerous times, filling her heart with relief. "It's over... I'm here... I'm with you... It's over..."

"No, my old friend." Jiro interrupts. "I'm just getting started." He corrects his sentence, finishing with a grin. "We are just getting started..."

"Emily..." Angela opens her eyes as she murmurs that name.

Fighting the flaming pain, Angela leans her face to the left of Genji's body searching for Emily, who was still on Jiro's domain.

"Let her go..." Angela wouldn't be able to keep her conscious for much longer. Soon, very soon, the effects of the torture would start affecting her body, more than she could take it. However, before everything suddenly becomes dark, she had to be certain that Emily was safe from Jiro's hands.

"May I?" Jiro looks behind his shoulder, waiting for Reaper's response.

Reyes took his time before giving the straight answer. He made sure to look at Lena's tearing eyes from the tiny window of her cell. Despite his initial silence, he already made up his mind, maybe even before entering the room.

"No..." Lena presses both her hands against the reinforced steel separating her from Emily, begging desperately for them to spare her. "Please... don't... don't... No..."

"Do it." Reaper gives his command.

"NO! NO!" Striking the door with her fists, Lena bellowed in despair. "PLEASE! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS TO HER! EMILY!" Blind by her own tears, Lena zips back and forth jumping against the door countless times, brutally smashing her shoulder against it in a desperate attempt to break free and stop that from happening. "NO! NO! NO! NO! LET HER GO!" In every shout, another failed effort, another sound of her bones cracking as she violently collides on the door. "LET HER GO! PLEASE! PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK! LET HER GO!"

"Say goodbye to your girlfriend, sweetheart." Jiro says, stretching his arm while taking few steps back from Emily. He didn't want her blood to reach his clothes. "It was nice knowing you."

"Please... please don't..." With her voice muffled by the pain hidden behind the bandage covering half of her pale face, Emily lowers her head to her knees, whispering, begging desperately for mercy. "Don't... don't..."

And just like that, Genji became Emily's only hope. He had no other choice but to fight and face the high risks.

He faces his target with the sword in hands. He must act fast, with precision, knowing there was no space for mistakes. He was going for Jiro's throat, a brief, almost merciful slice to make his head fly from his body.

On his own words, a clean cut.

His feet were ready to run for it, but when he least expected, the sword was stolen from his hands. Not by Jiro, not by Reaper, not Widowmaker... but by Angela, who immediately screamed:

"STOP IT!" She ordered courageously, overcoming the weight of her pain to stare at Jiro.

Caught by surprise, Jiro shifted his gaze from Emily to Angela. In some way, he is captivated by her attitude, even failing to fully understand it.

" _Angela, what are you doing...?_ " The question echoes in Genji's thoughts.

It didn't take long for him to have his answer. When Jiro locked his eyes on Angela, she brought the blade to her neck, pressing it softly against her skin.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

On the same second, Reaper and Widowmaker took aim. In return, Genji immediately steps close to Angela, standing between her and them.

"Angela... what are you-"

"Trust me..." She replies, whispering in his ear.

He couldn't tell what she was planning by that, much less approve it. But he trusts her. He always did, and that would not change now.

Reaper and Widowmaker share a look while Jiro remains paralyzed with his finger on the trigger.

"Ah crap..." Reaper grumbles, knowing what that was all about.

"Let her go." Angela repeats, standing firm against them. "Let... her-"

Suddenly, darkness began to cloud Angela's eyes. Everything around her fading in black, staggering her as she feels and sees the bleeding rushing from her head all the way to her Valkyrie Suit.

For a brief second, when she felt her strengths leaving her, she collapsed her forehead on Genji's back, using him as a support preventing her from falling. And as the blood continues to flow from her wounds, harder it became to stand her own legs.

She couldn't allow that to defeat her, not just yet. Not when she had a life to save, but on that point, Angela could barely speak.

"Let... her... go..." In an almost unhearable tone, she says.

"Or what?" Jiro asks sarcastically. "You will cut your own throat? Is that it?"

"And taking her technology with her." Noticing Angela struggling with her words, McCree was the one who first understood what her intentions were, and he made sure to stare at his old commander while speaking it. "Is Talon ready to lose such a precious knowledge, Reyes...? Is Talon ready to lose a miracle worker...?" Despite the tension, Jesse could not hide his brief smile when Reaper refused to answer him.

"She is bluffing." Convinced of her words, Widowmaker doesn't lower her rifle, ready to fire.

"Try me." Angela replies, trying to reinforce her tone.

To prove it, she buries the sharp blade on her neck, ripping her skin in a small scratch. A cold and precise cut away from the veins, just enough to make her bleed.

"Whoa... you truly got some nerves, doc." Jiro stares at Angela with an intimidating grin. "But you forgot only one small detail... I don't care about your technology..."

"Yes... I know..." Then, she shifts her gaze to Reaper. "But they do..."

Fooled by his own ego, Jiro's grin fades slowly, but he kept the gun pointed at Emily's head for a few seconds, only to return it to himself as he senses the barrel of Widowmaker's rifle just some centimeters from his nape. Then, closing his eyes in anger, he sighs.

"I bet you would enjoy this... Am I right, freak...?"

"Donne-moi juste une raison, crétin."

"I will take that as a yes." He returns his eyes to Angela, facing her and Genji with a fierce look.

"Let me ask you, doc." Reaper interferes. "What do you think it will happen next? Huh? You really think I will allow you to simply walk away like that? You'll barely make it to the hallway."

Of course she wouldn't, that would definitely result in a bloodshed. However, Angela knew that escaping was impossible, Talon wouldn't ever allow her to leave. Her knowledge was too valuable for them to let her get away.

She would never be allowed to have her freedom, she would have to regain it. She would have to for it.

She needed it.

She will.

But first, she needed to do something before the inevitable fight between Overwatch and Talon.

"So, what is it gonna be, Ziegler?" Reaper asks again, angry and intense.

"Emily... and Lena..." She replies, clearly on her last seconds of conscious. "I want... them... with Winston... Now... Now...!"

Reaper inhaled a sharp breath, offended by Angela's boldness in giving such an order, challenging his authority over them.

"You don't call the shots here, doc."

"Neither do you." She argues back bravely.

Her straight answer made his blood boil, even more after Jiro restrained laugh.

Later, there was nothing but silence. Everyone waiting for Reyes move, until he looks at the security camera and nods, ashamed and enraged by his failure to intimidate Angela into dropping the sword.

After his command, Lena's cell opens, realising her from the confinement.

"Love..." Tracer initial reaction was to reach Emily and push Jiro away from her. In her first step close to Emily, she is received by Widowmaker's weapon aimed at her forehead, blocking her path.

"You..."

"Hello again, cherie." The motionless assassin faces her coldly. "What a pity. The sweet, foolish girl who couldn't protect her own family..."

Tracer remains silent, resisting the temptation to answer that taunt on the same level of cruelty. For Emily, she steps back slowly to Winston cell, that opened its door when she got close enough.

"If you move a muscle, she dies." Reaper warns Winston and Tracer, who chose not to risk any sudden movement with the exception of slight steps backwards, never facing away from Emily's eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere without her... Let her go, Jiro..." Lena asks, trying to stay brave, hesitating to call him a monster.

"Someone seems to be a little jealous. Well, all things considered, I don't blame you." He lands his hand on Emily's hair, carefully and gently, but at the same time, torturing Emily in every touch as it brings back flashes of a traumatic night that left an explicit mark on her soft face.

"Don't you dare touch her..." Lena goes at him, only to see him return the revolver to Emily's neck, silencing her completely.

"I'm warning you..." Angela interferes. "Stay away from her..."

But thanks to Angela, he had longer control of the situation, not as before. She saw how powerless he became when Widowmaker put her rifle to his head.

There was something in his eyes. Fear, but not of death, not of the bullet about to crush his skull. None of the two.

There was fear. Fear of not achieving his goal. Fear of not fulfill his desire to watch Genji drowning into sadness, choking with his own despair. For Jiro, his vendetta was more precious to him than his own life.

Angela saw that. She felt that. She suffered so Jiro could get inside Genji's head to torture him with something he couldn't endure.

Her screams, her tears, her blood.

"Ziegler, this is truly beautiful... The way you stick with this... arrogant, foolish moral code of yours. A lonely doctor traumatized by the loss doing everything to embrace an illusion that she can save everyone. What a tragedy... But, maybe, very soon, I will teach you the same truth, the lesson that Genji taught me. And also..." His hands approach Emily, reaching the bandage covering half of her face, caressing softly with his fingers. "...I really like your eyes... both of them."

He waits for her response, any reaction that would reveal her panic. A joy that Angela refused to grant him, but wasn't enough to make him undo his smile.

"No hard feelings, sweetheart. You, like everyone else trapped in this hole, are just a means to an end." Jiro kisses Emily's bruised cheek and steps away.

Jiro leaves her lying in the center of the room, unable get up.

"Lena... I can't... I-"

"Shh..." Tracer immediately zips right her side, helping Emily to stand up. "Easy, love. I'm here... I'm here."

"Le-Lena..."

"Easy... easy..."

Making her own body as a shield, Lena takes Emily to her arms, holding her with ease, slowly walking away from Jiro and Widowmaker without looking back.

"We gonna be fine, love. It's gonna be okay, I promise."

As her promise echoes throughout the room, they get into their new cell, where Winston waits them. If Reaper, Jiro, or anyone else tries to harm them, he would be the one to keeping them safe.

"Thank you..." Lena glances at Angela and Genji, the two people that faced minutes of horror to give Emily a chance.

So much more she wanted to say, so much more she wanted do to express her gratitude. But not there, not on that moment, not with Emily on the crossfire.

They join Winston, the cell locks right after.

Finally, Emily was safe from Jiro thanks an act of courage lighting up the hope that seemed to be lost in the words of a monster.

However, Angela was not done.

Not yet.

"I want the boy... and his family... with Reinhardt... Br-Brigitte as well... Now..."

Reaper grumbles silently, appearing to be too close to give in and murder Genji and Angela just by simply firing his weapon. Something he clearly wanted to, but obviously, couldn't.

Knowing him for such a long time, Angela sensed the anger he was holding, just waiting to unleash all of it over his old comrades, the ones he called traitors that left him to die alone.

"I will make you pay, doc... Sooner or later, doesn't matter. Your time will come, and when it does, I will be there to watch you die..."

Then, he nods and sees the cell opening right beside him.

"Don't look, honey." Jane holds Jimmy's face against her waist, keeping Reyes out of his sight. "Don't look... don't look."

"Mommy..."

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

But then, Reyes just stood there with his eyes locked on the family terrified by his presence, like he was a monstrosity watching them.

He doesn't move or speak, only stares them with his eyes and expressions hidden underneath his mask.

After a while, Genji noticed Reyes's sudden struggle, so did Angela. What could possibly make him so silent all of a sudden? How...? Why...?

"Move it." Reyes orders with his tone somehow stammering as he clears their path for them to get out of their cell.

It was somehow lower, calmer, softer...

Human...

"What happened to you, Reyes?" Angela asks once again, now with a clear tragic atmosphere to her question.

One that Reyes was unable to reply.

"Whoa." Jiro chuckles. "Looks like the beast has a heart after all."

"Make it fast." Reaper warns again, ignoring Jiro.

The family gets out of their cell, avoiding to face the three, focusing only on Angela's eyes, allowing her gaze to guide them to the hero that would be their protector. Reinhardt Wilhelm.

"Don't worry my friends. I will be your shield." He says greeting the family and his dear friend Brigitte.

"We will let them get to you now, little boy." She whispers in Jimmy's ear, smiling at him. "No one is gonna hurt you or your family. I promise."

Angela watches everything in joy.

It worked. It truly did.

"Keep them sa-safe..." She whispers staring at both Winston and Reinhardt. "No matter what happens... keep them safe... plea-"

"Angela?!" Genji feels her body slipping over his back as he hears the sword hitting the floor.

Genji quickly turns and holds Angela, saving her from the fall. She's cold, very cold. He embraces her, bringing her body closer to his, laying her face on his chest unable to see the bruises made by his hand.

"To your cell, Sparrow." Kicking the blade away from Genji's hands, Reaper approaches immediately aiming at his head. "Now!"

He doesn't reacts, his attention was mainly at Angela.

He listens her breathing softly, almost peacefully as she leans her body to his.

Angela doesn't fight or resist the pain, because she knows he is with her. She knows that she could just keep her eyes closed, allowing the darkness to take over her vision, allowing her body to rest in his arms.

And then, her eyes were finally sealed, feeling Genji lifting her from the ground all the way to his cell.

An end to the torture. One of many she would be forced to endure in Jiro's and Talon's hands.

A sacrifice to save them.

A sacrifice to save him.

"You want an advice, Sparrow?" Jiro stares him from the other side of the door. "If you want to spare her from the suffering that is coming for her, you better strangle her to death while you can. Believe me, you'll be doing her a favor." Giving him a final grin, Jiro leaves before Genji had a chance to reply.


End file.
